


The Nexofic

by JessTheEspeon



Category: Nexomon, Nexomon: Extinction (Video Game)
Genre: Love/Hate, Maybe the REAL simp was the Nexolord all along, Micromon will also show up later, Nexomon and Nexomon: Extinction, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:09:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 113,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26703487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessTheEspeon/pseuds/JessTheEspeon
Summary: I told the Nexomon Discord I was going to write and draw a Metta x Reader comic and it was going to span all 3 games (Micromon, Nexomon, and Nexomon: Extinction), and with some prodding they convinced me to make it into a fic since I can write faster than I can draw. If you've ever simped for the irredeemable smug antagonist, this goes out to you personally.
Relationships: Nexolord|Metta/Reader
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25





	1. Get out of my house

**Author's Note:**

> In which you find out some things about yourself, and set the stakes.
> 
> For anyone who's not familiar with x Reader fanfics, Y/N means "Your Name," and there will come a point in the story where there will be a Y2/N2 (you'll understand why when you get to it ;) )

The house was shaking again. Great. Mom and Dad had both promised to not turn on the experiment until _after_ 9am, but there you were. 

Wide awake. 

The clock read 7:30, way too early to be up by any sane wannabe-Nexomon-tamer’s standards. Speaking of Nexomon, today was supposed to be the day you got your starter from Overseer Ivan (assuming he wasn’t too busy working out, that is).

You stretched and yawned, slowly creeping out of bed. If your parents were experimenting this early something had to be going on, and you _really_ didn’t want to be a part of it; so rather than rushing downstairs you went to take a shower. Can’t show up to get your first Nexomon in pajamas, now can you?

The house continued to rumble every few minutes, making for a very annoying shower, but eventually you were finished and dressed and could head downstairs to (hopefully) get out of the house as fast as possible and meet up with Ellie. She may not have wanted to be a tamer herself, but she **did** agree to come with you. 

Unfortunately, your plans were immediately thwarted. Sitting at your kitchen table was the man, the myth, the legend: The Nexolord. He’d hired your parents 3 years ago for some super-secret scheme that you STILL weren’t allowed to know about. That same super-secret scheme had been shaking your house ever since, and it was all his fault. So it was to neither of your parents’ surprise when they saw you death-glaring the back of his head and then immediately dropping to a neutral, bored expression when he turned around.

“I’ll take you down to see the machine, sir.” Your father smiled and got up from the table. The Nexolord hesitated for a moment, almost like he was going to greet you or do anything other than stare at you with that insufferably smug face. But he didn’t. Once the Nexolord was safely out of ear-shot you turned to your mother.

“What the hell is he doing here?”

“Don’t worry about it dear, he’s just here for the experiment. Why don’t you head outside? I think I saw Ellie in the window a minute ago.” She smiled, gesturing towards the door. Ever perceptive, both of your scientist parents had read the room and separated the two of you before anything could happen. They remembered that that first meeting had been on your birthday. 

_Way to ruin the party, dick_. 

Luckily, you’d been able to sneak out while they were talking and spend what had been left of your birthday with Ellie.

Throwing one more heated glare at the basement stairs, you grabbed your tamer backpack off the hanger. “I’ll call you when I get to the mountains, alright Mom?”

“Sounds good hun!”

The door clicked closed behind you and you took a deep breath, completely failing to notice your best friend getting into an altercation with one of the Nexolord’s ever-present minions until they started screaming.

“Give me that robot!”

“Never! It’s not yours!”

“I’m not leaving without it kid, hand it over!”

Your eyes slid open. Oh? One of the Nexolord’s grunts, committing petty theft? An excuse to take out your lingering frustration with that smug asshole?

You were sprinting at the grunt before you realized it, kicking your legs out in front of you and landing them squarely on the wannabe-thief’s chest. Somewhere in the back of your mind you realized this would probably break their ribs, but you couldn’t really bring yourself to care. You landed on your ass while the grunt went skidding along the sidewalk.

“What the hell is your problem?!” The grunt shrieked, clutching their chest. Yep, definitely some broken bones on his end (and a bruised butt on yours). You were already up and ready, arms posed in front of you for a fist-fight.

Luckily, it didn’t come to that. 

“Atlas, now!” Ellie yelled.

The small red robot who had been at the center of the fight suddenly sprang into action, flying forward faster than you would’ve thought possible for something of its size, and…

Launched the thief into the air.

Oh.

You didn’t have too much time to think over the implications of what had just happened, thankfully, because if Ellie hadn’t yelled at you to grab the box that grunt had dropped you would’ve certainly realized that all three of you were now accessories to murder. There was no way that guy survived whatever ‘Atlas’ had done to him.

You picked up the box and opened it, seeing a collection of Nexotraps. One of them was heavier than the others, a sign that there was actually something inside. 

“They probably stole those too!” Ellie huffed, arms crossed.

Your eyes widened just a touch as you took in her words. “...they??”

Just as you asked, another grunt ran in panting from the road up ahead. “What did you do to my partner?!”

“He was trying to steal my robot!” Ellie yelled from behind you.

The grunt seemed to take a moment to consider the situation, but really it was impossible to tell what they were thinking behind those masks. 

“...Are those our Nexomon?”

“That you stole!” Ellie yelled behind you. Really, you weren't even participating in the conversation at this point.  


“Give those back!”

Way too quickly, you and Ellie found yourselves in the middle of a Nexomon battle. You sent up a prayer to anyone listening and threw down the Nexotrap like you’d seen other battlers do.

Out popped a very tired-looking fox. Vulazy. You’d memorized all the starters and decided that you would annoy Ivan until he gave you one, so it almost felt like a sign. Hopefully it wasn’t too weak.

-

The battle was very short and ended with the grunt knocked to the pavement. You had such a head rush that you didn’t hear your front door opening, so hearing the Nexolord behind you… definitely DIDN’T make you jump.

“What do we have here?” 

Yeah. Definitely no flinching here. 

You could already imagine what his face looked like. He would still be smirking (did he know how to make any other facial expression?), but his eyes would give away his irritation. Good. After making your life hell for three years, he could use a little more irritation in his life.

You took a moment to steel yourself, then decided it wasn’t worth it. You turned around slowly and gave him all the glares you’d sent at the back of his head since your birthday all those years ago.

Incredibly, he wasn’t smirking. He looked bored, staring at his underling laid out on the pavement. Well, he looked bored until he saw the Nexotrap in your hand and the Vulazy hiding behind your leg.

“Well?” His eyes narrowed.

“Your little _henchmen_ were trying to take my friend’s bot. _Perhaps you should keep them on a tighter leash_.” Each word was laced with three years’ worth of pent-up hatred.

“You STOLE our NEXOMON!” The aforementioned henchman yelled from the ground, slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position.

“And I’ll do it again if I have to. Coming after two civilians who don’t have any Nexomon? For _shame_.” Your eyes went half-lidded as you stared down the grunt, a more bored expression on your face than the one reserved for his royal Nexo-ness.

He looked to the Nexolord for help, only to see him flushed bright red. He couldn’t tell whether it was rage, embarrassment, or something else entirely. “Boss, you can’t let them talk to us like that!”

“Get up, scrub.” 

“W-what?!”

“I said get up.” 

Like a flipped switch, the Nexolord’s boredom turned to liquid rage, and the minion’s desperate pleas for backup became desperate apologies as he scrambled to his feet. 

You glanced down at the Vulazy, who was still clinging to the back of your leg. “Hey. Nexolord.”

He turned to look (glare) at you, but you’d already set your emotional mask back in place. You were starting to realize that this could reflect poorly on your parents, so best to at least TRY to make amends. You held out the Nexotrap and watching his glare turn to confusion.

“Are you going to take it back or not? I’d give it to your friend, but I’m not sure I trust him right now.” You couldn’t stop just a touch of sass from slipping in.

He stared at the Nexotrap for a moment before sighing and closing your fingers around it. It was weirdly intimate and supremely uncomfortable, feeling his hand close around yours. You were definitely going to want to wash before you set off for Ivan’s.

“Keep it. As an…. apology for my underling.” He paused for a moment, signature smirk reappearing.  “And as a reminder of your shame. _Little thief_.” 

Suddenly he was standing by his grunt, hauling him off the ground. Lucky for him, because you were about half a second from breaking his jaw. As it was, your carefully placed mask of boredom was shattering on the pavement. 

“Ex _CUSE_ me?!” You hissed, whipping around. “YOUR henchmen were the ones trying to steal MY friend’s robot! And that’s not even MENTIONING the fact that you’ve been making my parents run that _DAMN MACHINE_ for THREE YEARS NOW! Do you have ANY idea how many showers I’ve had to take in the middle of a GODDAMN EARTHQUAKE because of you?!” 

The Nexolord looked, frankly, shocked. His face was bright pink (all the way to the tips of his ears) and his eyes were wider than you’d ever remembered seeing them. You would’ve made fun of him for it, if you weren’t actively seeing red.

After a few seconds of a supremely awkward staring-contest, the Nexolord reached into a pocket on the inside of his (ridiculous) coat and pulled out an earpiece. He wrapped his fist around it for a moment before holding it out, letting a small glare settle over his features in a feeble attempt to reassert control over the situation.

“Here. We can discuss that… later. I have more important things to be attending to right now.” He turned around, then stopped again. “That earpiece has a _direct_ connection to me. I request you not abuse it.”

Your eyes narrowed into a glare as he portalled himself and his grunt away, taking note that he didn’t even ask about where the second one was. That was probably for the best, all things considered. 

As the blue light faded away, Ellie finally broke the tense silence. “What the hell is his PROBLEM? He’s such a dick!” 

“Tell me about it.” You rolled your eyes. “More importantly, are you alright?”

Ellie gave herself a once over, checking for any scratches on her body or dings on her wheelchair while you put in the earpiece. “I’m fine. You?”

“As fine as I can be when that asshole shows up. Happy third anniversary, by the way.” Your lips quirked into a small smile.

“Right! Happy birthday!” Ellie grinned, grabbing your hands and bouncing them excitedly. “Did your parents finally decide you’re old enough to know what that machine is?”

“As if.” You laughed. “They’ve gotten even _more_ secretive, if you can believe it.”

Ellie stopped bouncing your hands as she got a thoughtful look in her eyes. “I still think it’s weird that they won’t tell, especially since the Nexolord’s involved. But whatever, that’s not what I came here to talk about.” 

Ellie spun you around easily, pointing you in the little robot’s direction. “Meet Atlas! He’s my newest creation!”

“Newest murder machine, maybe. _Please_ tell me you didn’t just make a robot for the sole purpose of throwing the Nexolord’s henchmen around like ragdolls.” You smirked, taking in the sleek design. 

Surprisingly, Ellie wasn’t the one who responded to you. “My purpose is to help!”

Atlas held out its hand for you to shake, and you did so gleefully. 

“Holy shit, I didn’t think you were sentient. That’s incredible!” You turned your head toward Ellie, still shaking Atlas’ hand. “Is THIS the AI you told me you were working on forever ago?”

She crossed her arms and beamed at the praise. “Sure is! Atlas has a scanner to identify Nexomon, a Nexopedia to record your findings, and he can hold an entire party in his chest cavity!”

Ellie paused for a moment, looking mildly annoyed. “I WAS going to say we should go get your first Nexomon from Ivan, buuuuut…” Her face turned into a grin, “This is WAY better. STEALING a Nexomon from the Nexolord HIMSELF? _Badass_.” 

You grinned back, pulling the Nexotrap out of your pocket to look at again. “I honestly didn’t even feel bad about taking it. This Vulazy is rad as hell.”

Static buzzed in your ear for a moment before a voice came out. “You know I can hear you, right?”

You shrieked. Shamelessly. A weak “Ow.” came through the earpiece, but you couldn’t be bothered.

“YOU DIDN’T SAY IT WAS ON ALREADY, JACKASS!”

A loud laugh issued into your ear as you stared at Ellie, both equally terrified he’d heard you two roasting him.

“Like -hehe- like I said, I have other priorities. You should take care of that Vulazy if you plan on becoming a real tamer. It’s your only defense against the wild Nexomon right now.”

You took a deep breath, looked around at the woods surrounding your house, and finally settled on looking at Ellie. You gave her a smirk before finally replying. “Three days.”

“What?”

“I’m going to find you in three days and challenge you for the title of Nexolord. And I’m going to win.”

As you spoke, you got the pleasure of watching Ellie’s face shift from disbelief to downright horror.

“...I doubt it.” Came the reply. Ellie was now violently making an ‘X’ shape with her arms and shaking her head ‘no.’

“Quick question, how much of our conversation before did you hear anyways?” You asked, ignoring her completely.

“I can only hear your side, though I’m sure your inventor friend has been just as entertaining.”

“I can guarantee Ellie’s tongue is just as sharp as mine, so you’re not wrong. Speaking of,” You turned to Ellie, giving her a thumbs up, “He can’t hear you.”

The worry that the Nexolord could hear her was the only thing preventing Ellie from completely chewing you out, and chew you out she did. “ARE YOU INSANE?! THAT’S THE NEXOLORD!”

You laughed a bit at laugh before replying. “Yeah, and I’m Y/N. Now come on, let’s go catch me a team! Mom and Dad have yelled at me enough about not going into the woods, but they can’t stop us now!”

“Oh no, _I'm_ going to figure out what that douche is up to. _You and Atlas_ can go ahead and catch a team. I’ll meet up with you later when I have more info.” Ellie crossed her arms indignantly.

You and Atlas met each other’s eyes, sharing a moment of confusion. “You’re just gonna GIVE me Atlas?”

Ellie leaned back into her wheelchair, narrowing her eyes at you in a way that just SCREAMED ‘idiot.’

“That’s _literally_ the entire reason I built him. _You're_ the one that wants to be a tamer. And now, since we don’t have to walk to Ivan’s, I have some free time to look into your little ear-piece friend.”

“He is NOT my friend.”

“Who’s not?” The Nexolord piped up.

“ _Shut up, you_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atlas has joined your party! Did Ellie really just build you an entire robot for your birthday? And what was all that blushing about from the Nexolord?


	2. What's a Champion?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you make your way to Overseer Ivan's and meet someone dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Makin' my way to town, walkin' fast, kickin' ass...

Ellie left you and Atlas in the grass just outside your house, heading off to her own for some research.

“Alright. So…” You trailed off awkwardly, feeling very similar to when you’d been left alone with some stranger at a party by the friend who invited you.

“You… DO know how to catch a Nexomon, right?” Atlas quipped, looking up at you. He was about as tall as your knees.

You blinked a few times, processing the snarky tone before finally blurting out a reply. “Obviously. I’m not stupid.”

“Then do it.” 

“I think we’re gonna get along just fine…” You smirked, walking into the grass. You could hear rustling just to your right. You carefully parted the grass with your hands, and inside was…

A Basten!

The small cat was cleaning its paws, completely oblivious to you behind it. Atlas tapped your hand with his own and held up a Golden Nexotrap, quietly closing the chest plate he’d been using to store it. You nodded, taking it and returning your eyes to the small black cat.

You carefully lined up the shot and gave the trap a gentle lob. It landed right next to the cat, pulling it inside with ease. 

“Sick. First catch, down!” You pumped your fist in the air and spun around with the new Nexotrap, handing it back to Atlas to store. After all, Ellie had said he could hold a full team. You didn’t REALLY want to give him the Vulazy though. That was special, and you’d be furious if Atlas malfunctioned and it got stuck inside. 

The earpiece buzzed again. “What did you catch?”

Atlas narrowed his eyes at the offending piece of tech, and briefly you wondered how he was able to hear it. You’d have to ask Ellie about that later. “If I tell you what I’m catching you’ll have a competitive edge for our battle. Nice try, though!”

The Nexolord laughed into the earpiece. “Suit yourself. Y/N, was it? Your parents are the two I was visiting?”

“Maybe. What about it?” You replied, finding a Mustino in a different patch of grass and shrugging at Atlas. He was staring at you, wondering why you were continuing to chat with someone Ellie was clearly suspicious of. 

You sent out Vulazy to fight the Mustino this time, knowing that Atlas wouldn’t have any more Golden Nexotraps and that you’d have to weaken this ‘mon if you wanted to catch it.

“I was going to say that your parents are some of my top scientists.”

Your eyes went dead for a moment, annoyed again. “Uh-huh, great. They won’t even tell me what your little ‘project,’” You made air-quotes with your fingers after throwing a regular Nexotrap at the Mustino, “is. Speaking of things I don’t know, you never told me your name. That’s hardly fair.”

The earpiece went silent for just a little too long, and you wondered if he was just going to ignore you now. “James. My name is James. And your parents shouldn’t tell you about the project. It’s not meant for the general public.”

Much to your surprise, Atlas chimed in. “Mr. Nexolord, why did you give Y/N that earpiece and Vulazy anyways? You don’t seem like the gift-giving type.”

Having caught the Mustino, you continued to search for more Nexomon to fill out your team. A Berawn was your next find.

“I already explained myself back at Y/N’s house.”

You had to stifle a laugh at that, watching Vulazy weaken the Berawn in 1 hit. Oh yeah, definitely the right starter for you.

“Forgive me, but I don’t believe you.” Atlas replied, eyes narrowed at your ear as though he thought the Nexolord would be able to see the glare.

You threw another Nexotrap just as you heard Ellie shouting from around the bend. Handing off what was now your fourth Nexomon to Atlas, you turned around to greet her and pointed to your ear, signalling it was still on. “What’s up?”

Ellie was apparently already prepared, holding up a whiteboard that read ‘Overseer Ivan = Info about Nexolord’s plan’ while asking you out loud, “How many Nexomon are you at now?”

You nodded, taking out all the traps and releasing your team. “This baby,” You pointed to Berawn, “makes four. Two more and I’ll have my first team.”

You held out your hand to all the new Nexomon, letting them get acquainted with your scent and proving that you weren’t going to hurt them. 

Ellie held out her own hand, smiling at the baby Nexomon. “Are you going to keep them all, or switch out if you find other Nexomon you like more?”

Your eyes lit up at that, having completely forgotten the other challenge you’d given yourself when you decided you wanted to become a tamer. There wasn’t any harm in pushing the schedule up a bit, was there?

“I’m going to fill out the entire Nexopedia before I fight the Nexolord. His name’s James, by the way.” You scratched the back of Vulazy’s ears as you waited for someone to respond to your insane challenge. “Honestly, I think I could be at the Frozen Tundra with a buffed-up team by nightfall otherwise.

Ellie’s hand fell as she gaped at you, startling your Mustino who had been sniffing it cautiously beforehand. “You’re going to WHAT the WHAT?!”

You grinned wildly, calling back all your Nexomon and grabbing Atlas’ hand. “And that’s why I don’t have any time to lose! See ya later Ellie, and keep me posted!”

-

You were planning to just run straight to Parum and blow all your money on Nexotraps, but you were stopped by the sight of your neighbor’s house engulfed in flame. The NexoGuard was already there taking care of things, but you could tell it wasn’t looking good. Apparently some rogue tamers were wreaking havoc around Parum. That just meant you needed to be on your toes and spend extra time training your team.

After a half hour of running around the woods outside Parum and catching everything new Nexomon you could find (and defeating everything else), you decided you had a good enough team to warrant heading over to Ivan’s. You knew he wasn’t a particularly serious tamer, given his obsession with human strength to settle disputes. 

“Atlas, do you think this is a good enough team?” You asked, thumbing your newly-evolved Vulpep’s Nexotrap.

His central display lit up, displaying the level of your Nexomon and some general information about Overseer Ivan. “This team should be sufficient to challenge Overseer Ivan!” 

“What do you want with the Overseer?” The Nexolord asked, startling both of you. Atlas’ screen showed him flushing, likely from fear. 

“None of your business.” You bit back quickly, making rapid cutting motions with your hand in front of your to tell Atlas to keep quiet. 

“Let me guess…” The earpiece went silent for a moment, although you thought you could faintly hear a soft tapping. “You want Ivan to tell you how to beat me, don’t you?”

You had to actively stop yourself from breathing out a sigh of relief. If he thought you were just looking for information on his team, that meant he wasn’t thinking about you trying to figure out his top-secret plans. You’d talked with Ellie about breaking into the basement who knows how many times, but you’d both been busy with school and work and never had the free time to actually do anything about it. After this morning, though… Both of your priorities had shifted. 

“Who’s to say I don’t just want to beat the shit out of Ivan in a Nexomon battle? He’s a trash Overseer. All my friends who ACTUALLY live in town say he doesn’t even use Nexomon to settle disputes, he just threatens to beat people up himself.”

-

The Nexolord smiled, staring at the screens in front of him and debating how to answer you. Eventually, he decided to go with the option he thought would rile you up the most. “Parum’s a trash town. There’s no reason to put a skilled tamer there when Ivan can handle whatever petty disputes show up.”

-

Speechless. Utterly speechless. You couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, and that pissed you off just a little bit more than you liked. You took a deep breath and glared at the town, now coming into view. “I’m gonna beat him. Whether that’s with my fists or my Nexomon will be determined when I get there. Who knows, I might end up saying the same thing about you.” 

You held your fist up to the earpiece and cracked your knuckles. Sure, it was childish, and he would probably think less of you for it, but that was hardly your concern right now.

“Ooh, feisty! Is someone mad I said their backwater hometown is garbage?”

You could hear the teasing lilt in his voice. You wanted to make a witty comeback, but honestly you were starting to see red. Luckily, there was a commotion happening up ahead that you could use to bail yourself out of the situation. On the off chance the motion up ahead was related to those rogue tamers, you re-checked your team one last time.

“Atlas, do you see that up there?”

“Affirmative!”

“Wait… is that a… Monkapow? …and a cat?” You squinted through the trees.

Sure enough, there was a wild Monkapow terrorizing the cat you vaguely recognized as the clerk for the tamer store. 

“That Monkapow is so loud  _ I _ can hear it.” James griped.

You let out a loud, sharp whistle, drawing the Monkapow’s attention towards you and away from the shopkeep. Vulpep was already in a fighting stance when you let him out of his Nexotrap. It was an easy fight, and the Monkapow took off when it realized it was outmatched. 

“You alright?” You asked, keeping an eye on where the Nexomon had run off just in case it decided to come back with reinforcements or try to jump you when you weren’t aware. 

The cat was dusting itself off and checking that nothing had been stolen from it’s large backpack. “Fine, fine, and thank you for the help. You’re the scientists’ kid, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m Y/N. Why was that Monkapow chasing you?”

“And are you going to give us a reward for rescuing you?” Atlas chimed in, an innocent grin on his face. You blinked at him, stunned into silence for the moment. 

“...Why would I do that?” The cat asked. “And that Monkapow has been terrorizing me for weeks now. Every time I get a shipment, in fact! I’m Ron, by the way.” He held out a paw for you to shake.

“Because that’s how it works!” Atlas complained, not at all pleased by being steamrolled by Ron. “We rescue you, you reward us!” 

“It’s really not necessary.” You murmured under your breath, bright pink with embarrassment. 

Ron glared at the little red robot, having seemingly not heard you. “You want a reward? Fine!” He fished around in his pack and pulled out a Golden Nexotrap. “Well? Take it!” 

“You don’t need to give us anything, especially a Golden Nexotrap.” You said, louder this time. 

“Oh, clearly I do! According to your little robot friend, that’s “how it works!”” Ron made air quotes at Atlas.

You took a deep breath and accepted the Nexotrap, mouthing ‘I’ll pay you back when he’s not watching’ to Ron.

“At the very least let me escort you to your shop. I was meaning to get up there and buy more Nexotraps. My parents got me a chunk for my birthday, but I’m already starting to run out.”

Ron was still bristling at Atlas, but he seemed softer towards you.

“Fine, fine, it’s this way. You don’t get into town much, do you?” Ron asked, going through his wares again as you all walked to the shop.

“Not since school started. I finished a little while ago, and then I was just learning everything I could about becoming a tamer. Not exactly a substitute for actually getting out there, but I’ve got a pretty good mental map on where to find everything. And I know how potions, ethers, and revives work, so that’s nice.” You rambled, playing with Vulpep’s Nexotrap. It spun nicely on your fingers.

“Oh, you’re one of THOSE tamers!” Ron grinned, eyes sparkling. “It’s an expensive profession, trying to complete the Nexopedia. People spend weeks hunting for rare Nexomon, and if they aren’t in a good location with a free healer,” He spit out the word free like it was poison, “they have to stock up on supplies from me!”

You let out a laugh at the same time as the Nexolord, momentarily startling you. You’d forgotten he was still here. “Ron’s quite the businessman.” He purred into your ear.

“I’m sure we’ll get along famously. I’m trying to finish the Nexopedia in under 3 days so I can challenge the Nexolord.”

Ron’s step faltered for just a moment as he realized how much MONEY that would be costing you, and in such a short amount of time. “Not that I’m trying to discourage you, far from it, but uh… what does finishing the Nexopedia have to do with fighting James? I know he’s listening, but the way. He had me special-order those earpieces so he could stay in touch with his top people. Something tells me you’re not one of those, no offense.” 

You let out a proper laugh at that. “None taken. I’m pretty sure he’s afraid of me, so he’s keeping tabs. As far as the Nexopedia… I’ve always wanted to have a complete one, and I figured that all the hunting would be the perfect training to go challenge him. Plus, if I have every Nexomon, I can make the perfect team.”

“You are certainly a strange one, Y/N.” Ron mused, unlocking his store and letting you and Atlas in.

“He’s not wrong.” The Nexolord laughed quietly into the earpiece.

You rolled your eyes and grabbed 5 of everything. Potions, ethers, revives, and supers of each. After seeing how much that would take out of your current funds, you blew the rest on Nexotraps. Glancing at the clock, it was now 8:30am. A productive morning, by anyone’s standards.

You thanked Ron and stepped out of the shop, making a quick stop at the Healing Center to patch up Vulpep from the Monkapow fight and see how many Nexomon you’d caught. 26/294. Not bad! Of course, you’d have to evolve all of them, so the number was probably closer to about 40 or 50, but you could worry about that later. Ellie was counting on you to get information out of Ivan.

Speaking of, you needed to ask the little bot if he could remotely mute the earpiece. Ivan wouldn’t talk at ALL if he knew there was a chance the Nexolord could hear him.

You fished around in your backpack for a loose pen and the notebook you’d brought along when you thought you’d be recording all your findings by hand. Flipping to a page that WASN’T filled with Nexopedia entries, you wrote down the question and held the notebook out for Atlas to read. He nodded his head vigorously, and then you flipped to another page. You wrote down ‘when I make this hand signal ^ I want you to turn it off.’

As he was reading it, you made the signal with your hand. Your thumb, ring, and pinky fingers were all pinched together, your pointed finger was extended, and your middle finger was curled up and resting on your thumb. It looked like a dog, from a certain angle. Atlas mimicked the gesture with his four fingers and then gave you a thumbs up with his other hand. 

With that settled, you started through town. Friends from high school flagged you down for quick catch-ups and to ask about Atlas, but eventually you made it to the outdoor section of Ivan’s gym. His lackeys were all on the equipment, effectively guarding the gym from anyone who wanted to get in.

You cracked your knuckles to get their attention.

“Hey! I need to get in to see Ivan.”

Everyone zeroed in on you before bursting out laughing. “Aww, are you here for your first Nexomon? You’ll have to wait. Ivan’s in the middle of a workout.”

A dangerous glint crept into your eyes as you smiled. “Actually, I’m here to challenge him. I’ve already got a full team.”

The atmosphere changed immediately from teasing to outright hostile. “You’ll have to get through all of us first!”

“Ah, you’re already there. Should I warn Ivan of your arrival?” James teased. 

“Don’t you DARE!” You hissed. The body-builders all stared at you in confusion and you rolled your eyes. “I have an earpiece. I’m not talking to you. Now, are we going to fight or not?”

Vulpep stood at the ready in front of you, claws out. Saxia was waiting in the wings for her time to shine.

-

After a thorough trouncing, you were admitted into the gym. Ivan was lifting weights in the center of the wrestling ring, for some reason, and the rest of the gym members were scattered around him doing their own workouts. He cracked an eye open at the sound of the door swinging shut, then stopped lifting altogether to appraise you and Atlas.

“What are two  _ weaklings  _ doing in  _ my  _ gym?”

You looked down at Atlas, flashing the hand signal to cut off communication with the earpiece. The Nexolord had just started saying something, but then it was blissfully quiet.

“We’re here for information about the Nexolord.”

The rest of the gym, which had been sizing you up for the past few seconds, went dead silent. 

“T-the Nexolord?” Ivan asked, looking sufficiently unnerved. 

“Yep. My parents have been working on some big secret invention for the past 3 years and they’re not budging. I was going to show up today for my first Nexomon, but as luck would have it I’ve already got an entire team. So, are you going to tell us what his grand plans are, or am I going to have to fight you for it?” You asked, dead-eyed as you released Vulpep from its Nexotrap again. You already knew the answer, but just in case you could intimidate him…

Talking about the invention was like flipping a switch, apparently, because the second you finished talking the entire gym burst out laughing.

“There’s no WAY some weakling like you would understand his plans! Oh man, you really had me going there!” Ivan laughed, resuming his workout. “Scram, or you’ll regret it.”

“We’re not leaving without that information, Overseer Ivan.” Atlas piped up, squaring his fists for a fight.

He groaned and put down his weights again as the rest of the bodybuilders cleared out. “So be it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” 

Ivan pulled out his own Nexotrap and released a….!

...Thrano. You blinked at him for a moment, not believing this was actually his team. That thing wasn’t even evolved.

“Vulpep… Headbutt.”

The Thrano went down instantly and you groaned. THIS is who’d been terrorizing Parum for all these years? And no one had even tried to get rid of him until now? Vulpep downed his Vulazy, Dromeruf, and Trimion without breaking a sweat, leaving you extremely bored and Ivan incredibly scared. 

“Seriously? Those couldn’t have been more than level 7. How did you even become an Overseer?” You muttered, mostly to yourself. 

“What the hell?!” He yelled, backing away from you and Atlas with his downed team. “Why are you so strong?!”

You looked up at him, annoyed now. “I’m going to challenge the Nexolord. Now spill. What are his plans with that secret machine?”

Ivan looked around, desperately trying to find another bodybuilder to back him up. They’d all fled long ago. “I… I… I don’t know anything!” 

He threw his hands up. “He doesn’t tell us anything! Overseers are just grunts to him!”

“For FUCK’S SAKE!” You yelled, hands on your face in distress. “This was pointless!”

“W-wait! Please don’t hurt me! I can at least tell you about the Champions!” Ivan flinched. Really, it would’ve been hilarious how afraid he was of you if you weren’t so annoyed.

“Fine. What are the Champions?” You asked, pulling out your notebook. 

“They’re members of the Nexolord’s inner circle, way more powerful than us Oversee-”

“Ivan, Ivan, Ivan… so quick to give our secrets away.” A voice sounded from inside the gym.

“...shit.” Ivan looked around wildly, curling into a defensive position.

“Who’s there? Vulpep, stay ready!” You yelled, getting back-to-back with your Nexomon.

A bright flash of blue light appeared, and then there was a person standing next to Ivan.

“Fenrir! W-what are you doing here?” Ivan asked, giving a terrified smile in an attempt to placate whoever it was that had just appeared.

You narrowed your eyes at the newcomer as he spoke. “Hello to you, too, Ivan.” He roled his eyes in your direction. “I just thought I’d stop by and see who’d beaten you so effortlessly. Truly, I’m speechless. And then you started talking about the Champions… tsk tsk.”

“I-I had to! They beat me!”

“ _SHUT_ _IT!_ ” A ring of fire sprang up around Fenrir, and you got a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. “On my authority as Fenrir, Champion of Fire, I hereby TERMINATE you as Overseer. Get out of my sight.”

You looked between Fenrir and Ivan, wondering what was going to happen to you and Atlas.

“I… You know what?” Ivan growled suddenly.

“What?” Fenrir was busy picking at a hangnail, clearly already bored with the ex-Overseer.

“I don’t care! On my authority as the Great Ivan, I hereby terminate YOU!”

You had the great pleasure of watching the bane of Parum Town take a running leap at Fenrir, only to get  _ immediately  _ thrown back by a column of flame. You tried desperately to stifle a chuckle, knowing that Fenrir could easily turn his fury onto you.

“What’s wrong, Ivan? I don’t seem to be terminated yet. Perhaps you should’ve spent more time working out, if you’re still this  _ w e a k _ .” Fenrir taunted. Ivan let out a weak-sounding ‘ugh’ from his spot on the floor.

“C’mon, let’s leave while they’re distracted!” Atlas grabbed at your hand. Before you could make a run for it, though, 4 grunts teleported into your way, effectively blocking the path out.

“Oh no you don’t. I hear you’ve got some questions to ask a Champion. Well, fire away!” He leered at the both of you. “You’ve got my full attention.”

You took a deep sigh and turned around, using the same face you’d practiced for 3 years on the Nexolord. Bored, unreadable.

Atlas, however, had no such training. He virtual face was sweating and terrified. “H-how’s it goin’?”

“Really?” Fenrir glared at the bot. 

_ I’m done for. I’m done for, and this is how I die. I’m going to be burned alive by the Champion of Fire. Great going Atlas _ . You thought to yourself, getting ready to fight to the last breath. Incredibly, Ivan bailed you out.

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!” He yelled, getting up off the ground.

“Oh, the meathead’s awake again.” Fenrir turned to acknowledge Ivan. “Here I thought I’d killed you.”

“Didn’t even hurt, fire-boy!” Ivan taunted, charging him again. “TAKE THIS!”

You dropped into a squat, holding your hands over your face as Ivan once again was thrown around by Fenrir’s fire. “Atlas, we’re going to die here.” You muttered.

Apparently, Fenrir heard you. “What are you so afraid of? You’ve already beaten an Overseer.”

Against your better judgement, you bit back a reply. “Did I? Cause if THAT’S an Overseer, I must already be a Champion.  _ How  _ much of our battle did you see?”

Fenrir chuckled. Actually chuckled. “Ah, I get it now. YOU’RE the one the Nexolord let go before, aren’t you? That Vulpep must be the starter you stole.”

He took a step forward, effectively pinning you between himself and the grunts behind you. He tilted your face to get a look at the earpiece.

“Funny, I can’t hear him. I would’ve thought he’d be keeping tabs on you, after that little stunt you pulled.”

Every nerve ending in your body was screaming at you to grab him arm and flip him onto the mat, but considering what Fenrir had just done to Ivan, you weren’t about to press your luck. So you let him keep holding your face and staring.

“Are we done here?” You hissed out, glaring up at him. He finally released your face and backed off, sending a glance at the robot.

“You know what? Do whatever you want. I think you’ll make for quite an interesting tamer, Y/N.”

You eyes went wide at that, blazing fury barely contained behind your pupils. “I didn’t tell you my name.”

“Do you really think the Nexolord  _ didn’t  _ tell the Champions about the scientists’ kid with balls big enough to STEAL from him? Come on now.” He smirked. “I look forward to seeing where you end up. Alright, let’s get out of this dump.” He waved his hand at the grunts, who all nodded and took off. 

“I swear to god I’m going to hunt down every Champion and--” 

“H-hey, Y/N, right? Can you gimme a hand?” Ivan called weakly from the floor.

“Oh shit, I thought he killed you too.” You hopped over the ropes around the ring and down to where Ivan was laying, pulling him up off the floor. “You alright?”

“I’ll be fine. Didn’t even scratch me, heh!” He lifted his arm and flexed, trying to hide the wince. “But more importantly… you’re going after the Nexolord, right? There’s a bunch of Overseers who hate him. You’re going to want to talk to Remus. He lives in the mountains. He was the--”

“The previous Nexolord? I remember him. He was Nexolord when I was born.”

“Yeah, him. He knows a ton about the Nexolord, if you’ve got the courage to ask him.”

You rolled your shoulders and looked over at Atlas, shrugging. “I mean I already stole my first Nexomon from the Nexolord, I doubt it could get much worse. Thanks for the info, Ivan.” 

Turning to leave, you made the signal again at Atlas to let him know he could stop interfering with the earpiece. 

“We should tell Ellie what we’re doing.”

“You’re back? What happened, I lost you for like ten minutes!” The Nexolord groaned through the speaker. 

“I dunno, we were inside Overseer Ivan’s gym. It’s basically a concrete block.” You lied smoothly.

“You two head to the mountains. I’m going to start training, even harder! I WILL get my revenge on Fenrir!” Ivan yelled from the back of the gym as you were leaving.

“Who was that?”

“Overseer Ivan. Well,  _ ex _ -Overseer Ivan.” You shrugged, not that he could see it.

Briefly, you wondered in the back of your mind if Atlas was recording these conversations and saving them for Ellie. You’d have to ask him next time you gave the signal.

“Ex-Overseer?”

“Ask Fenrir, he was just here.”

“... How do you know about Fenrir?”

“Ask him. And like Ivan said, I’m about to be in the mountains, so don’t be surprised if this thing starts cutting out again. I’ve heard service gets real spotty up there.”

You winked at Atlas, and then you were off!

Almost!

Ellie stopped you outside, gesturing frantically at your earpiece. You gave Atlas the signal.

“What?!”

“The Nexolord just sent out a huge broadcast! I haven’t decrypted it yet but it has to be related to whatever’s in your basement!”

“Shit! We were just about to head into the mountains to ask Overseer Remus about it. How much time do we have?”

“I don’t know, but get a move on! And stay in contact with me through Atlas. He’s been forwarding me everything through your earpiece, too.”

You squeezed Ellie’s hand as reassurance before taking off with Atlas for the cave that linked Parum to the Mountains.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why is everyone being weirdly intimate? First the Nexolord touching your hands, now this Fenrir dude holding your face... ugh...


	3. Nadia, or whatever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet the Wind Champion and some unlikely allies

Atlas chirped a little tune while you walked, distracting you just long enough that the Nexolord yelling into your ear came as a surprise.

“You did WHAT to Overseer Ivan?!”

You dug your heel into the ground and stopped. “Uh.”

“Fenrir! For fuck’s sake! That could’ve killed someone! I don’t need to deal with that right now, I have enough going on with the--”

He stopped himself, seemingly becoming aware that you were still listening. Frankly, you were just relieved he hadn’t been yelling at you. “Nevermind, whatever. It’s fine. Just… don’t go throwing people around.”

You kept silent, straining to make out Fenrir in the background.

“And what about your little pet, huh James? Who do you think beat Ivan so badly I had to step in in the first place?”

_ Pet? _ Oh, you were  _ definitely _ going to have words with him about  _ that  _ little nickname.

Whatever Fenrir had been about to say was immediately drowned out by James’ yelling. Somewhere in the back of your mind you wanted to give Atlas the signal just to avoid getting ear damage.

“OF COURSE IT WAS Y/N! Who else in Parum is strong enough to take on an Overseer?!”

“...James. Y/N got their first Nexomon  _ this morning. _ ” You heard the Nexolord take a sharp, agitated breath. “That’s not normal, and you know it. This little obsession of yours is dangerous.”

Fenrir’s voice was getting increasingly loud, a sign he was right next to the Nexolord now and speaking directly into the earpiece for you to hear. “I know you’re listening. You might’ve been strong enough to take down Ivan, but don’t expect the same treatment from Remus.”

You bit down on your hand to prevent yourself from giving some snarky comeback and potentially worsening the situation. The Nexolord had just  _ barely  _ stopped himself from revealing his plans. If you could catch him unaware again…

“Shit, the mine’s blocked.” You finally spoke, rounding the corner so you could finally see it.

“Looks like you won’t be meeting Remus for a while, then. Good. You’ve caused enough trouble for one morning, don’t you think? It’s only 9.” The Nexolord sighed.

“Wait for me!”

You turned your head just in time to jump out of the way as Ivan crash-landed next to the pile of rubble blocking the mine’s entrance.

“What do  _ you  _ want?” Atlas groaned, zipping around so he was next to you instead of Ivan.

“You’ve gotta get through the mine to get to the mountains, so I’m going to clear it for you! After all, I don’t work for the Nexolord anymore!” Ivan grinned.

You looked behind him, hoping to see any sort of mining equipment. “Uh… how? You don’t have anything on you…”

“Simple! I will break the rocks down with my bare hands!”

“...you’ll what.”

“SPECIAL DESTRUCTION TECHNIQUE: MUSCLE APOCALYYYYYYYYYPSE!!!” Ivan screamed. Less than a second later, the path was cleared. 

“How the--? What the fuck dude?!” You yelled, turning to look at Ivan. If he was THIS strong, and Fenrir had taken him out that  _ easily… _

You were in serious danger back there. Shit.

“Ha! And they said my 24/7 workout was a waste of time. Take that Mom and Dad!” He yelled, pumping his fist in the air. “Go on, Y/N. We’re all rooting for you!” He clapped you on the back, nearly sending you sprawling.

“Thanks!” You wheezed out, stumbling forward into the cave with Atlas. There were tamers left and right hunting for mineral-type Nexomon, and you figured you probably should too. You spent some time hunting and battling, made a trip or two back to Ron’s for more Nexotraps, and after an hour you were out of the mine and into the mountains. 

“Feels good to see the sun again!” Atlas smiled, spinning around with his arms out. 

You stretched and nodded, happy to get out of the cramped tunnels that ran through the mine. “Can’t complain. Let’s get going, the town’s just up ahead. Right?”

“Right!” Atlas gave you two thumbs-up.

There was already a marked difference between the Mountains and Parum. People seemed… happier. You decided to ask a local about it.

“Hey, weird question, but… why’s everyone here so… happy? We’re from Parum, and it’s nothing like this.” The other person inside the healing center looked up at your questioning and gave you a smile.

“Oh, it’s because of Overseer Remus! This place is a haven for people who don’t like the Nexolord. Sure, he’s still kinda stuck under his thumb, but he doesn’t take it out on us like all the other Overseers. I heard someone just deposed the Parum Overseer like a half hour ago, is that right? I’m sure you’d know better than me.” The girl smiled.

You looked down at Atlas, wondering if you should tell the truth or not. Well… it couldn’t hurt. “Yeah… about that… I may or may not have been the person defeated Ivan. But I didn’t fire him! That was the Champion of Fire. He just… showed up, for some reason.”

The girl’s jaw dropped. “No. Way! That’s amazing! Why’d you do it?! What was the fight like?!”

Her excitement was contagious and you found yourself giggling. You could just barely make out the Nexolord grumbling into the earpiece as you answered.

“Well, the short version is that I’m training to challenge the Nexolord. The long version is that I stole my first Nexomon from the Nexolord, told him I was going to fight him in 3 days after I finish my Nexopedia, and that I was going to ask Ivan how to beat him. Turns out, Ivan’s a crappy Nexomon tamer and he didn’t know anything, so I’m hoping Remus is a little less… ignorant.” You finished carefully.

“Oh. My. Omnicron. I’ve GOT to go tell all my friends! This is so cool!!!” She squealed and ran off.

“Enjoying your time in the limelight?” James ragged.

“Aww, is someone jealous?” You fired back, leaving the healing center to go find Remus. “Can’t talk, about to go beat up another one of your Overseers and I’m losing signal! Bye-bye James!” You finished mockingly. Atlas immediately cut the signal and both of you broke into a fit of laughter. 

The air up here was cooler and you wondered idly if you’d packed enough layers. You had packed pretty light, assuming you would be able to rest inside the healing centers. The back room was basically a giant apartment. Plenty of beds, laundry machines, showers, everything a tamer on the run would need for a night. If you kept up this pace, though, there was a good chance you’d need to change clothes just because of the weather differences. You definitely needed to stop in Ignitia to get fire types, and depending on how cooperative Remus was you could’ve been there before noon.

As you were about to ascend the steps Atlas tugged hard on your hand, pointing at someone in a long trenchcoat. You vaguely recognized the clothing as belonging to the Investigative Division of the NexoGuard. He seemed… alarmed? when he turned around and spotted the two of you.

“You’re… you’re not from around here, are you?”

“Nope! How’d you know that?” Atlas responded cheerfully.

He looked around, and deciding that he wasn’t being watching, responded, “I’m a special investigator. I’ve been profiling this town for a while now, and I’ve never seen you here before.”

You glanced down at Atlas and shrugged. “Makes sense to me. Anything we can help with?”

“Ahahahaha!” He laughed nervously. “Sorry, top-secret! If you see anything suspicious, though, let me know!” The agent then proceeded to leave without giving you any information to contact him with.

“...Hey Atlas.”

“Yep…”

“Yeah… Don’t suppose you could find a way to contact him on the off-chance we DO see something?”

“Nope.”

“Welp. His loss.” You shrugged. “Back to finding Remus!”

You took the first set of stairs you found, assuming Remus would be at the top of one of the mountains. This one led to a hot spring with a gigantic Kumacho lounging with several humans. 

And… Ron? 

Atlas stared at you in confusion. You murmured “But wasn’t he just…?”

“Ah! Welcome, Y/N, and…” Ron stared at Atlas for a solid three seconds before continuing. “Welcome to my new hot spring! Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

“...Thank… you?” You squeaked as he shuffled past, turning to watch him go. 

Atlas hid behind your leg, glaring at the cat. “How did he even get here that fast? He was just in Parum!”

“Do you think… does he know how to teleport like the Nexolord?”

“It’s likely!” Ellie’s voice rang through the earpiece, making you shriek and alarming all the bathers. 

“Sorry, sorry, my earpiece just went static!” You reassured, grabbing Atlas and HAULING him out of there. “Ellie, you scared the shit out of me!”

“Well, since the Nexolord’s signal is blocked, I figured we could talk!”

“Did you find anything? Atlas and I were just about to go find Remus. Also, remember Ron? The cat that runs the shop in Parum?”

“...Yeah? What about him? And I’m still working on decrypting the message, but it’s pretty rough.”

“We just saw him in the mountains at a hot spring. Do you think he knows how to teleport like the Nexolord?”

There was no noise for a moment, and you just knew Ellie was making her thinking face. “It’s… not out of the realm of possibility, but it’s definitely weird that he can move around that quickly. Come to think of it… Y/N, I forget, do you have any friends outside of Parum?”

Your forehead wrinkled. “I mean. I have. like. Internet friends. Why?”

“All of my friends from out of town have mentioned that Ron runs their tamer shops too.”

You mentally flipped through all the conversations you’d had. You couldn’t remember for sure, but… 

“He’s got to know how to teleport.” You finally bit out, eyes wide. There was no other explanation.

“Ah, Y/N, I believe Remus’ home is just up ahead!” Atlas commented.

Your eyes flicked to the wooden bridge. “Oh, sweet, talk later Ellie! Hopefully we’ll be able to get the transmission from Overseer Remus ourselves so you don’t have to decrypt it.”

“Good luck! I’ll be listening!”

You advanced over the bridge carefully with Atlas in your arms. His wheel wasn’ exactly made for running along unstable boards. You set him down on the other side and progressed through the treeline, stopping when you saw…

Some dude with a red mohawk.

“...Is that Remus?” Atlas asked.

“Definitely not.” You deadpanned.

The stranger whipped around at a near-inhuman speed and shrieked at both of you. “W-WHO ARE YOU?!”

You shared a look with Atlas. “I’m Y/N, this is Atlas. We’re looking for Overseer Remus. Who are YOU?”

At that, the man visibly relaxed. “Ah, the Overseer guy. Remus goes for a walk around the mountains at this exact time every day, so you two should scram and find him. Now, if you’ll excuuuuuse me…” 

You had the pleasure of watching someone who was definitely a thief slink around you and disappear into the mountains. 

“Hey Atlas.”

“Mm?”

“Do you have any tracking functions?”

“Only for powerful emissions!”

“Pity. I think that guy just stole from Overseer Remus. Well… he’s an ex-Nexolord, so I’m sure he can handle it himself. We should try to find him, though.”

You headed out of town with the intent to find Remus, stopping to catch a few Nexomon along the way. Unfortunately, before you could locate the Overseer, you were confronted with a familiar face. 

Quickly, you flashed Atlas the hand signal to turn the earpiece back on. 

“Uh. James? Can you hear me?”

“Oh, Y/N! Are you out of the mountains?”

“Not yet, but I’m glad I found a spot with some signal. Remember how you brought two henchmen with you this morning?”

“...Maybe? I don’t keep track of them.”

“Atlas and I may have launched one into the sky. And we just found out where he landed. He’s. Uh. Alive? ...Somehow…” 

“... you launched one of my underlings into the sky?”

“Let’s not worry about that right now, you should come get him and take him wherever you guys take your minions when they get hurt.” You rushed out into the earpiece, advancing slowly towards the grunt.

“N...Ne...Nexo...lord… NEX-NEXOLORD!” They shrieked, jumping off the pile. “YOU!”

“Me?” You tilted your head, playing dumb. James’ laughter rang into your ear. 

“How did he survive that?” Atlas whispered to himself (and Ellie).

The grunt jabbed a finger in your direction. “REVENGE! I WANT MY REVENGE!! THIS TIME, YOU’LL BE THE ONE SOARING THROUGH THE SKIES!!!”

You stared blankly at the floor, trying desperately to hold back your laughter. If this guy was anything like the other grunt, this was going to a humiliating defeat. 

For them, of course.

You took a deep breath and let out Vulpep. With Atlas running diagnostics, you could tell your entire team was almost ten levels higher than this guy. They would’ve been a formidable opponent if Atlas hadn’t punted them into the clouds.

As it was, you dropped his team without any trouble. 

“H-HOW??? HOW ARE YOU SO STRONG AFTER A COUPLE HOURS?!” The grunt screamed, arms in front of them defensively. 

You could see someone approaching from behind him and prepared yourself for another battle. 

“What’s going on here?”

Upon closer inspection, that someone was-

“Overseer Remus! Just in time!” The grunt clapped their hands together and pointed excitedly at you and Atlas. “These two are opposing the great Nexolord!”

“Pff, great Nexolord.” You muttered into the earpiece.

“Hey!” 

Remus looked over the minion’s shoulder at the two of you, immediately zoning in on the earpiece. You stilled, wondering if he knew more than he was letting on.

“Is that so? These two are opposing the Nexolord?” Remus ran a hand through his beard boredly.

“Yes! Exterminate them!”

“...Why don’t you handle it? They don’t look like anything special to me.”

The grunt flinched and shook his head. “They’re stronger than they look!! But that doesn’t matter, YOU can handle them!”

Remus let out a deep sigh. “I can… but first: if you were defeated by someone like that, clearly you’re not fit to work for the Nexolord.”

“W-WHA--” The grunt shrieked as Remus sent him flying into the wall. You definitely heard something crack, but whether it was bones or the rock itself wasn’t the most pressing issue at the moment.  _ If Remus is that strong _ … you shuddered.

“And as for you.” You flinched, standing up straight and taking a protective step in front of Atlas. If it came to blows, you were pretty sure Atlas wouldn’t hold a candle to Remus. You needed to keep him safe and buy him time to escape back to Ellie if things went sour. “Meet me at the top of the mountain. I have a feeling there’s more to you that meets the eye.” 

“Uuu… uuuuuugh~” The grunt moaned weakly from the pile of rubble. Remus’ eye flashed dangerously for a second, and then he walked up to the top of the pile.

“Still awake, mm?”

“UuuAAAAAAAAA!!” You got to watch the same grunt be launched into the sky for the second time this morning and thanked your lucky stars that Ivan had been right about Remus being on your side. Being on the receiving end of that much strength… That grunt may have survived Atlas, but if he managed to survive Remus you were going to have to hand him over to your parents for testing.

You shuddered as Remus walked past you, tapping his ear twice. You just barely nodded, keeping quiet for the moment. 

“Ah, good ol’ Overseer Remus. He’s a tough bastard… made quite the fight when I challenged him to become Nexolord.” James laughed low into your ear.

You swallowed hard. “I think he’s gonna kill me.”

“Nonsense. If things get too hairy, just… ah, right. The mountains. I was going to say just call me and I’ll order him to stop, but if you don’t have service… hmm…” 

Atlas grinned conspiratorially at you as you both ambled back to the healing center to patch up before seeing Remus. “I’ll be fine! Maybe. Hopefully.”

“I could come down there, you know…”

“NO! No, no, it’s fine! I’ll be fine! I’m not going to get strong enough to beat you if you help me out.” You needed to turn the conversation, and FAST. “WAIT! You just want to see what team I use against Remus, don’t you!”

“Is it really so unbelievable to think I would want to  _ help  _ you?”

“Considering I stole your Nexomon and beat up your henchmen, yes. Yes it is.”

You started flashing the signal at Atlas, hoping he would understand you wanted him to start chopping up the signal before cutting it off completely. He nodded, and the last thing you heard from James was some garbled half-words and a rushed “Don’t die!” at the end.

“It’s off now!”

“FOR OMNICRON’S SAKE Y/N WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! THAT’S THE OLD NEXOLORD!” Ellie screamed into the earpiece.

“He’s on our side!! He knows about the earpiece, too! He tapped his ear twice after he saved us from that grunt.”

“You. Are SO lucky. Don’t pull that shit again or I swear I’ll tell your parents on you.”

You made a dramatic gasp into the earpiece. “You wouldn’t DARE! Tattle-tale!”

After a brief fit of giggles you told Ellie you’d talk later and headed up to meet Remus.

-

“Hello? Overseer?” You set Atlas down on the other side of the bridge again.

“Ah, there you are.”

“The earpiece is off, so he can’t hear us anymore.”

“Good. Now, what’s this I hear about someone from Parum taking down Overseer Ivan?”

You flushed bright pink and pursed your lips. Of course the townspeople would tell their Overseer about something like that. “I, uh… may or may not have beaten Overseer Ivan and gotten him fired by Champion Fenrir. Maybe.”

“Mmm… interesting. It’s rare for the Champions to make an appearance at all, let alone over a petty squabble. Tell me, who are you that everyone seems so interested?”

Remus sat down on a log-bench and steepled his hands, listening intently as you told him about your very eventful morning.

“I see…” He grumbled, looking off into space for a moment. “I can’t tell whether you and your friends are foolish or brilliant, but if you’ve come this far already the least I can do is show you the broadcast. I haven’t seen it yet either. I… don’t like bringing my intercom with me on patrols. For the same reason you and that little bot turn off your earpiece.”

Overseer Remus got up and went inside to grab his intercom, leaving you and Atlas alone for a few seconds.

“I was right, he knows way more than he lets on.” You whispered, wide-eyed.

“How did he know I was jamming the signal?” Atlas glared at the door.

Remus walked outside with a downright terrifying look on his face. 

You both froze, hand clenched around your Nexotrap. “What’s up?”

“The intercom is missing.”

“SHIT! Atlas, what did that guy look like?”

“What guy?” Remus growled, arms crossed. 

“Older, red hair styled into a mohawk, carrying a sack…” Atlas listed off, spinning around on his wheel. 

You glared down at Atlas, then looked back to Remus. “There was a guy here when we first came to talk to you. I thought he was suspicious, but we’re on a bit of a time crunch.”

“Mm, yes… Three days to complete the Nexopedia and challenge the Nexolord is quite a feat. You two go search for him in town, I’ll scout the woods. Return here when you find him.”

“On it. Let’s go, Atlas.” 

You made your way through town, asking everyone if they’d seen where the man had gone to. No one had any valuable info, but luckily the NexoGuard detective you’d talked with earlier was still in town.

“Hey! Hey!” You waved your hand at him, making him look up from his tablet. 

He waved back. “Oh, you two again!”

“Yeah yeah, no time for chit-chat, someone took the Overseer’s intercom. Red hair, mohawk, patchwork satchel, have you seen him???” You dropped your hands to your knees and took a breath. It had been over 20 minutes since you’d seen him, so he could be almost anywhere by now.

He hit his fist into his other hand and grinned. “Yes, I have! I was going to go follow him myself. He just went to the west mountain cave. Do you two want to accompany me?”

“Why are you standing here?” You hissed at him. “Let’s go!” You grabbed the detective and Atlas and started dragging them. 

“How are you this strong?!” 

“You should’ve seen Y/N this morning! They headbutted one of the Nexolord’s underlings, and I heard ribs crack!” Atlas added cheerily.

“Ah… how… impressive?” The detective added weakly. You could feel the fear radiating off of him.

“So, what’s your name? I’m Atlas! I don’t think we ever properly introduced ourselves!”

“Bryce… Special Agent Bryce. I’m working a high profile case, and that’s all I can tell you.” 

“It’s about the Nexolord, isn’t it!” Atlas continued to smile. 

Bryce froze and you had to start dragging him again “H-how did you?! I mean… perhaps.” He recovered, stumbling back into motion. “But that doesn’t matter! We need to get to the cave right now.”

“Yeah, we’re here.” You released both of them from your iron grip and ducked into the cave’s entrance. “What’s the plan, Bryce?”

“If we find him, I’ll take care of it. You two should stay back.” 

Once again, you found yourself sharing a look with Atlas. “You… you know I’ve already defeated an Overseer, right? And two of the Nexolord’s grunts?”

“WHAT?!” 

You flinched, looking around the bend. “Not so loud, do you want that dude to know we’re here?” 

A flash of red hair caught your attention and you quickly pulled Bryce back behind the wall of rock. “I think I just saw him! Keep quiet so we can sneak up on him.” 

Bryce gave a shaky nod before shifting into business mode. He went first slinking around the walls of the cave until all three of you were close enough to pin the thief into a trap.

“EEK!” 

“Surrender yourself, thief.” Bryce whipped out his badge. “I am Bryce Forte of the NexoGuard, and you’re under arrest.”

“T-the NexoGuard?! What do you think I did?!” He spluttered, hands tightening around his satchel. You nodded at Atlas and prepared to swipe it.

“Surrender the stolen items immediately.”

The change in demeanor was immediate and alarming. The snivelling wreck from before, made to look as pitiful and innocent as possible, shifted to cold and haughty. 

“Never! I’ve got an army now thanks to these NexoTraps!” He opened the satchel and threw out two, one for yourself and one for Bryce. “Take this!”

“So, Bryce…” You glanced over at him, lazily flicking out your Vulpep. “Want me to stay out of this?”

“Oooooh!!!” Atlas giggled. 

Between the two of you, the fight was alarmingly easy. Bryce’s Nexomon were easily higher level than you, but he didn’t back you out of the fight after seeing you were more than prepared to handle the thief’s Nexomon. 

When all was said and done, you were pretty sure your Vulpep would be a Kitsunox soon. At least by the time you got out of Ignitia, easily. You needed to stock up on fire Nexomon, given James lived in the Frozen Tundra. Even if you weren’t going to be fighting with it, a warm Nexomon in the middle of a blizzard could be the difference between life and death.

“M-my Nexomoooon!” The thief, Willy as you now knew him, whined. 

“Those aren’t your Nexomon in the first place!” Bryce glared. You pursed your lips and bit your tongue. As much as you wanted to say you’d also stolen your first Nexomon, James had ended up letting you keep it. “Now, give back the Overseer’s Intercom!”

“THAT’S what you’re after?! I can’t even read that piece of junk! Take it!” Willy launched the datapad behind the three of you and took off deeper into the cave. You dove for the intercom, but Bryce went after Willy. That just left you and Atlas again.

“Is it damaged?” Atlas asked, wheeling around where you’d dove to the ground to check out the intercom. 

You brushed the dust off and gave it an experimental tap. “Nope, still fine. C’mon, we don’t have time to chase after Bryce. We need to get back to Remus.” 

The grass crunched under your feet as you hoofed it back to Remus’. Checking your watch, it was now almost 11:00. Still ahead of schedule, but for some reason you felt like you were running late. 

“Remus! Remus! We got the intercom!”

“STAY BACK!” He roared, putting a hand out.

You were about to ask why, but the wind that whipped up drowned you out easily. The source? A flying woman. You dropped to the ground, pulling Atlas under your arm so he wouldn’t be tossed over the edge.

Despite Remus’ warning, the woman had already spotted you. “Hmmph. Hello, weaklings. It would appear you rats are the ones opposing the Nexolord.”

She flitted over Remus to float right above you. The wind became even more intense, but somehow her voice continued to cut through it. “Now, now, chin up! Get off the ground. I’m bringing you your righteous punishment today. Isn’t that special? I, Nadine, the Champion of Wind, have come personally to see to the end of your little plot.”

You lifted your chin just enough to glare at her. In doing so, she caught a ray of sunlight off your earpiece. Abruptly, the atmosphere changed. She dropped to the ground, leaving a crater right in front of you as she dragged you up by the arm. 

“You?! You’re the one who defeated Overseer Ivan!” She seethed, turning your head the same way Fenrir had to look at the earpiece.

“What is with you Champions and grabbing my damn face?!” You hissed, debating if it would be worth it or not to try to bite her finger. This was getting, frankly, tiring.

She dropped out like you were made of acid, huffing and going back to flying menacingly behind Remus. “No matter. Fenrir may have let you go for the Nexolord’s sake, but I’m nowhere near as merciful. This is the end of your little trip, trouble-maker. Remus, dispatch them!”

Remus glanced over his shoulder at you and you nodded just a fraction. This was just how it had to be. 

“REMUS!”

“As you command, Lady Nadine.”

“What kind of name is Nadine anyways? Doesn’t sound very windy to me. At least Fenrir has the whole hellhound schtick.” You rolled your eyes in Atlas’ direction. He was completely fear-stricken, having missed Remus’ signal. You egging on the Wind Champion definitely wasn’t helping either. 

“Prepare yourself, tamer.”

“We don’t have to do this!” Atlas begged.

You let a small grin tug the corner of your lip. “Yes. We do.”

Remus fished around for his Nexotraps and released a severely under-leveled team, which you made quick merciful work of. 

“... I am beaten.” He finished gracefully, dipping his head. Nadine couldn’t see the sly smile he was sending you.

Nadine, however, wasn’t having it. “Do you think me stupid, Remus?”

You put your hand up. “I do.”

“SILENCE, BRAT!” She snarled. Turning back to Remus, she continued, “I know you threw the match.” Her expression changed from a grimace to a serene smile. “A pity, to lose such a competent Overseer. But I’m sure we’ll manage without.”

The wind began to pick up again in earnest, and you grabbed Atlas once more. 

“I  _ really  _ hate getting my hands dirty, but it seems you all leave me with no other choice.”

“Y/N, you have to run, NOW!” Remus yelled. 

“What about you?!”

“I’ll be fine, GO!” 

You didn’t need to be told a third time, and you remembered watching the televised battle between Remus and James for the title of Nexolord. You  _ sprinted  _ away from what was rapidly turning into a tornado-zone. 

Bryce was waiting at the bottom and you nearly threw him towards Remus.

“You two, what’s going on up there?!” He yelled over the wind.

“Wind Champion! Remus! Fighting!” You yelled.

All at once, the wind stopped. You froze. You wanted to look at Atlas, but looking at him would confirm your suspicions.

Bryce, however, had no such fears. “I’ll go check it out. You two might want to stay back.”

Cautiously, you followed Bryce back up to where Remus and Nadine had just faced off.

“Fuck.” The word fell from your lips in a whisper. There was nothing there. No house, no trees, and most importantly, no Remus. Just a crater and a pile of rubble.

“So this is the power of a Champion.” Bryce muttered, kneeling in the crater and inspecting the broken rock. 

You walked slowly towards the edge, tipping a small stone over the edge and listening to it plink off the cliff’s face until there was no more sound. 

“Where’s Remus?!” Atlas whined, pulling you back to the present.

Bryce brushed himself off and gave a confident smile. “I’m sure he’s fine! After all, he is the previous Nexolord. If he can take on the Nexolord in combat, his underlings should pose no trouble.” 

You took a slow breath. It was possible, but… “Remus lives on the mountain and specializes in mineral-type Nexomon. Nadine is the Champion of Wind.”

“He may specialize in mineral-type Nexomon as an Overseer, but he has an entirely separate team he used as Nexolord.” Bryce put a hand on your shoulder. “He’ll be fine, just you wait and see.”

You pulled out the intercom. Miraculously, it hadn’t been broken during the fight. “We’re back to square one. We can’t read this without one of the Overseer’s decryption keys.” 

Bryce hit his palm with his fist once again. “You two should go see Overseer Ira!”

“The Ignitian Overseer?”

“The very same. She’s… ah… pretty loyal to the Nexolord, though, so you’ll probably have to beat her in combat to convince her to read the broadcast for you.”

You sighed and looked at Atlas. “Beats waiting around for Ellie. At the very least, we can catch some fire Nexomon.”

“Right!” Atlas pumped his fist in the air, putting on a brave face. Neither of you wanted to think about what had happened to Remus right now. Things would only get worse from here, if this was how the Champions were reacting now. 

“What about you, Bryce?” You asked, lifting your head again to look him in the eye.

He looked around at the ruined mountaintop. “Unfortunately, I need to be reporting to my superiors about the situation here. We’ll be putting our efforts into locating Remus, and then challenging the Nexolord directly.”

You bit your lip at that. You understood the gravity of the situation, but… you really really wanted to take down James yourself. 

“Good luck, Bryce. We’ll head to Ignitia for now.”

“Good luck, Y/N.” He nodded. You made the careful trek back down the mountain, mindful of loose stones.

“Hey, Y/N, Atlas?”

“What’s up Ellie?”

“I’m just outside the eastern exit of the mountain town, and I’ve got something for you!”

“Did you see what happened up there?”

“Not really, it got too windy down here and I was more concerned with not tipping my wheelchair.”

You nodded, not that she could see it. “Be there in 10. And be careful, some nutjob named Willy is running around robbing people. I’m going to turn the earpiece back on again, so careful on transmissions.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’ll be even more suspicious if I don’t.”

You could hear Ellie sigh. “Alright. Be safe.”

“You too.”

You nodded to Atlas and gave the signal. “-EN I SEE THEM AGAIN--”

“You having fun screaming?” You deadpanned, shocking the Nexolord into silence.

“YOU!” He yelled.

You rolled your eyes. “If we want to turn this into a screaming match I guarantee I can hurt your elf-ears before you can hurt mine. Also, how much did that plastic surgery cost?”

For a moment, it sounded like someone was grabbing the earpiece, and you prepared to be cut off.

“Hello again, Y/N!” Nadine’s voice was syrupy-sweet in your ear.

You sighed loudly. “Nadia, or whatever your name was. I couldn’t really hear over all the wind, y’know.” 

“IT’S NADINE!” She roared. You had to bite your tongue again to keep from laughing. She was very easy to piss off. 

You stayed silent for another moment, letting the giggles work themselves out before commenting again. “So… can I help you with anything? Or did you just grab James’ earpiece for a friendly chat?”

-

“I’m onto you, little rat.” She seethed. James watched impassively from his chair. She would wear herself out yelling and then he could have his earpiece back. At this rate, he would need to intervene personally to make sure you didn’t get any closer to him. This was getting dangerous, and the last thing he wanted was for you to end up in any danger.

Nadine yelled at you for another few minutes before finally throwing the earpiece squarely at James’ chest. 

-

You waited patiently for the noise to go away as the earpiece once again changed hands. “Are you still there?”

“What, did you think I was going to throw it over a cliff?”

“I wouldn’t have been surprised.” James sighed. “You need to be more careful, Y/N. Stop looking into my plans. You’re going to get hurt.”

“I have no idea what you mean. I was going after Remus for more information about you. Your, uh,  _ Champion _ , threw a shitfit before I could get any information. And seeing as he was the ex-Nexolord and fought you personally, I was kinda hoping I’d get some good intel. Now I’m back to square one and Nadine wants to hunt me for sport.”

“I can handle my--” He paused, and you immediately zoned in. “I can handle Nadine.”

“Your what?”

“Hm?”

“You can handle your what?”

“I can handle Nadine.”

“Nadine your…?”

“We’re not talking about this right now. We’re talking about you constantly ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time and beating two of my Overseers.”

“Ellie!” You cut off the conversation, waving as you caught a shock of green hair through the trees. She was in the same courtyard where you’d found the grunt Atlas shot skyward. 

And so was… “Willy.”

Atlas immediately squared up, ready to attack or defend as needed. 

“Give it back!”

“Sheesh, kid, you really don’t understand the concept of a robbery.” Willy spun a Golden Nexotrap on his finger.

You took a loud step forward. “Hey. Willy.”

“Shit, you two again?!” He flinched. “Time to go!” 

As he was turning around, a voice sounded out. “Halt, criminal scum!”

Out of thin air, five people appeared wearing matching suits. Red, blue, green, yellow, and purple.

“Who are you all supposed to be?” Willy looked unimpressed, and you really couldn’t blame him.

The red one, presumably the leader, spoke up. “We are the voice of justice!”

“Coooool…” Willy looked over at you and you shrugged.

“They’re not with us, dude.” 

“We are the warriors of destiny!”

“We light the way in the darkness!”

“We are the shield of the weak and fair!”

“Defenders of peace and friendship!”

“We… uh… we are the shield of the weak and fair!”

“I already said that!”

“Come on guys, we practiced this!”

“Sorry…”

Willy snorted. “Try again next time, losers.”

“Just give back the Nexotrap you stole from the lady.” The leader struck a pose, and you were reminded vaguely of an old TV show.

“Oh yeah? What are you losers gonna do about it?” Willy cackled. You readied yourself for another fight. So long as these weirdos bought you enough time, you could force Willy into--

“We will resort to extreme violence.”

“Huh?” You, Atlas, Ellie, and Willy all spoke at the same time.

“ENGAAAAGE!” The red one shrieked, backflipping over Willy and landing a square kick in the middle of his back. The rest all sprang into action, and all you could do was manage a ‘what the fuck?!’ before it was over.

Willy landed in a fresh crater, covered head-to-toe in bruises. You moved to stand in front of Ellie and Atlas.  _ Buy them time to escape, buy them time to escape! _

“Justice always prevails! Now, hand over the Nexotrap!” The leader didn’t wait for a reply, instead rummaging around until he found it. 

He moved to stand in front of you. “We’ve recovered your Golden Nexotrap, miss!”

“Th-thank you…” Ellie replied from behind you. 

“We’re so excited!”

“This is the first good deed of the Justice Squad!”

“The first?” You glanced at Ellie over your shoulder to find her returning the same look at you.

“Correct!”

“Our first day and we’re already saving the world!”

“...You need help.” Atlas grumbled from behind your leg.

“If you see any evildoer, just give us a call! We’ll take care of everything!”

You could practically see the lightbulb go off over Atlas’ head. “ _ Any _ evildoer?”

“That’s right! Say the name, and we’ll take care of them!”

You let Atlas speak, mindful of the earpiece. “The Nexolord!”

“P-pardon?” The red leader squeaked.

“The Nexolord? White spiky hair, obviously evil, coat that’s waaaaay too big for him?” Atlas supplied.

“Hey, I’m not evil!” You heard James grumble.

Abruptly, all 5 members of the Justice Squad teleported away. You took a deep breath and turned to Atlas, pointing very dramatically at your ear. His screen went blank for a second.

“I mean, you did ignore your grunt getting launched into space. Twice.”

“...Touche. In my defense, I was a bit more occupied with the little thief man-handling my Nexomon.”

“Vulpep’s almost a Kitsunox now. I’m thinking of leaving him out of his trap and letting him walk around with Atlas and I.”

“ALMOST A-- HOW ARE YOU LEVELING HIM UP SO FAST?!” You winced. If he’d been yelling before, it was nothing compared to now.

“Dude. Chill. I said I was gonna face you in three days. I gotta be prepared, don’t I?”

“Most people don’t get Nexomon that strong in three MONTHS.”

“That’s a them problem. I’m different.”

“Clearly…” He muttered, just soft enough that you weren’t sure he meant for you to hear it at all.

“Hey, uh, Y/N?” Ellie finally piped up. 

You turned around finally, flushing at how quickly you’d gotten absorbed in your conversation with the Nexolord. You should be focused on fighting him and decrypting the broadcast, not whatever that tone of voice meant! “Yeah, what’s up?”

“The Golden Nexotrap is what I wanted to give you. Use it wisely, alright?”

You nodded, putting it in your backpack with all the other odds and ends you’d picked up. People were surprisingly willing to let a stranger into their house.

“I haven’t used any Golden Nexotraps yet, I don’t think…” You mused. “I wanna save them for something super special.”

Ellie ginned, putting a hand on your arm. “Alright, stay safe. I’ve gotta head back. I think I’m close to a breakthrough.” She winked, and you knew she was talking about the broadcast.

“It’s a race, then!” Atlas grinned, spinning around her wheelchair. 

“You stay safe too, alright? I don’t want you getting caught up with any of the Champions just because you were seen with me.”

“I’ll do my best!”

With that, you parted ways once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did James say that so quietly? Why does it feel like Nadine can see right your lies? I mean, CLEARLY you're just looking for information on how to defeat the Nexolord... no funny business on the side, nosiree!


	4. What's your game?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Nexolord re-sets the stage, and you go to a concert

The change in temperature as you approached Ignitia was… extreme, to say the least. You challenged a few tamers along the way and took note of how their clothing changed. The mountain people were wearing breezy clothing with a spare layer, and the closer you got to Ignitia the more people started to look like blacksmiths. Everyone was wearing a heavy-duty mask and enough clothing to ensure their entire body was covered. 

“Ugh, I can feel my systems overheating.” Atlas groaned as you finally spotted an open pool of lava. You’d taken a moment to swap into more fitting clothes for the area.

“If you’re overheating, I can’t imagine this earpiece is gonna last. We should move quickly.”

“I’ll try to keep in contact, but if your earpiece does give out tell Overseer Ira to contact me personally.” James piped up. One half of you wanted to thank him, and the other wanted to roll your eyes. You indulged both. 

You spent the next half hour hunting with Atlas and watching your Nexopedia slowly fill up while making more small talk with the Nexolord. You were almost halfway now, with all the leveling your team had gone through. It was noon by the time you got into Ignitia proper, instead of just the outskirts, and you’d learned a bit more about James. He was raised in the Frozen Tundra, liked to use a bunch of different Nexomon, and found just about every food you listed disgusting.

“Do you just not eat anything?!” You asked, walking into the Ignitia Healing Center. 

“I eat!”

“What, snow?”

“Hey!” He let out a chuckle and you smirked. “I like most fruits.”

“You have  _ got  _ to be shitting me. At least tell me you take meal supplements, there’s NO way you get enough nutrients off of fruit alone.” You shook your head and thanked the nurse before heading back out. You could hear people chattering about some sort of concert going on, and they kept mentioning Ira’s name. 

“...Will it make you happy if I tell you I take supplements?”

“I swear, when I find you in the Frozen Tundra I’m making you eat real food.”

“Speaking of our upcoming battle! You have your incentive for winning, but we haven’t discussed what happens when  _ I  _ win.”

“Because you’re not going to.”

“Au contraire! You might be defeating the Overseers, but you haven’t even faced a Champion yet!”

“Define faced. Also, both of your Champions grabbed me by the chin when they saw I had the earpiece, what’s up with that? Did you not tell them?”

“...” James was silent for a bit and you wondered if you’d said something wrong. “I told all of them I’d given someone an earpiece, but I didn’t specify who. I’m sure they’ve all told each other by now, though. But! We’re still not talking about that. I want to put my win-terms down.”

“Lay ‘em on me, snow-boy.” You leaned up against one of the buildings and eavesdropped. Apparently, Ira was the one holding the concert. You’d have to figure out how to get the sold-out tickets if you wanted an easy in to see her. 

“When I win--”

“IF you win.”

“WHEN I win, I want you to go out to dinner with me.”

You choked on your own spit and spent a good minute on the ground coughing. “W-what?”

“Are you dying over there? Did you inhale an ember?”

“I’m fucking choking!” You yelled into the earpiece, giving a few good final coughs before standing back up. “Why the HELL would you want to go out to dinner with me?”

“Well, I think it’s only fair that I get something I want when I win. You want to be the Nexolord, I want to go out to dinner with you. You’ve beaten two of my Overseers with ease, and you’ve met two of my Champions. Don’t I have the right to be a bit curious about the mystery child of my top two scientists? We’ve only seen each other in passing for three years, after all.”

You narrowed your eyes at nothing and tried to figure out what was going on here. “What’s your game, James?”

“My game?”

“You’ve got to have something in mind, asking to go out to dinner with me. But I can’t figure out what. If I lose, WHICH I WON’T, you’ll already have gauged my prowess in combat. You clearly have some other big plan you don’t want people knowing about, and I’m betting it involves whatever invention my parents have in the basement. Maybe… Are you trying to recruit me?”

“You’re killing me, Y/N. Genuinely killing me.” You heard a loud sigh on the other end. “Again, is it so unbelievable that I’m just interested in you?”

“And again, I stole your Nexomon and have beaten up two of your Overseers. Don’t think for a second that I forgot that.”

“You are impossible.”

“I try.”

You found yourself in a line leading to the northern area of Ignitia. “Alright, hush, I’ve got an Overseer to find.”

You made your way around the line to the bouncer up front.

“Back of the line, weakling.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not jumping. I just wanna know what the line’s for.” You held your hands up, swiveling around to show the rest of the people who were glaring at you.

“Are you kidding?” Someone yelled. “This is the line for Overseer Ira’s concert!”

You gave a thumbs up and looked back at the bouncer. “Where can I get tickets?”

“Sold out. You’d have to try to get someone else to give ‘em up, and I guarantee that’s not happening with anyone in this line.” He growled.

“Sounds good. Thanks.” You gave him a wave over your shoulder and thanked the person who’d given you the first bit of info before leaving. 

Atlas looked pensive as he rolled along by your side. “Where are we going to get tickets, Y/N?”

You shrugged. “Either we find someone looking to sell, or we challenge someone to a Nexomon battle for them. Remind me to let out Vulpep when we’re done here. I wanted to let him out sooner, but I don’t think he’d appreciate this heat.”

You looked down at the Nexotrap holding your second-in-command, Felynth. She might like the heat, having learned some fire-type moves already. You didn’t want to risk it, though, so you just left them both in their traps.

“Ooh, so sad, looks like you’ll have to wait for the next con-- Wait, did you say you were going to battle people for their tickets?” James said.

“I’ve already fought a couple of the people here. They’re not exactly strong. Stronger than Parum, I guess, but my team is averaging level 27 right now.” You strolled towards the general store, wondering if you should stock up on anti-burns just as a precaution. But when you got there, the front door was locked. 

“I guess he can’t teleport…” You mused quietly, turning around and heading the other way.

“Who can’t?”

“Meh, it’s nothing.” You replied to James, waving your hand. You got a few weird looks from the Ignitian locals, but once you pointed to your earpiece they seemed to accept it.

As if on cue, you spotted Ron strolling up from the opposite direction. 

“Oh, hi Ron!” You smiled. The fear in the pit of your stomach sank just a little deeper. This cat had secrets, and you’d be damned if you didn’t find them out one day.

“Ah, Y/N, the little robot. Are you here for Ira’s concert as well?” He smiled calmly. Atlas was fuming, not that you were surprised. The heat from the lava definitely wasn’t helping either. 

“We’d like to be, but seems like the concert’s sold out.”

“Got any spare tickets?” Atlas piped up, giving Ron a shit-eating grin. Asking for more freebies was sure to push the cat’s buttons, and that was exactly what Atlas was hoping for.

“...perhaps.” Ron meowed, maintaining an even facade. You could just barely see his eyebrow twitch.

You rolled your eyes at the pair. “Anything you’d like us to do for them?”

“Well, if you insist!” Ron smiled, clapping his paws together. Atlas looked like he wanted to throttle him. “One of my employees is missing, and he’s got a very important package on him. Find and return him to me, and I’ll gladly hand over the tickets.”

You looked at your phone. 12:15. “Yeah, we can find your guy. Any description?”

“And what’s the important package?” Atlas added. 

“Ah, I’m afraid I can’t disclose the contents of the package. As far as my employee, he’s got bright red hair and he’s wearing a fire-resistant body suit.”

“Like everyone else here.” You muttered. “Whatever, I’ll just ask around until I find him. Thanks, Ron.”

“Of course, Y/N.” He dipped his head and left for the shop.

You rolled your shoulders and looked down at Atlas. “Remind me to pick up a couple anti-burns before we go to the concert.”

You took a quick lap around the outskirts of town and after about ten minutes, you ran into something far more interesting than a missing employee.

“Out of my way!!” Someone shrieked. A tan and red blur whipped by, pursued by 4 of the Nexolord’s henchmen. You immediately flash Atlas the signal, picked him up, and took off at a sprint after them. Unfortunately for you, they rounded a corner and disappeared. You weren’t familiar enough with Ignitia to take a guess at where they’d disappeared to, so you decided to take a breather in the closest building. 

Turns out, that building was an old research lab. You booted up the terminals and read whatever logs you could recover, having Atlas connect and store them as you realized their importance. 

Project: PIXEKAI. 

You remembered your parents talking about it when you were a kid. You hadn’t cared back then, and so hadn’t paid much attention. According to these logs, it was a virtual world created to house humanity in the event of Omnicron’s return. 

“Ellie, I just had Atlas download a bunch of old research from these terminals. You… you should take a look at this. This might be more important than decrypting the broadcast.” You murmured, thankful you’d had Atlas cut off the transmission when you spotted the henchmen.

In the back of your mind, you wondered if you should call your parents. You’d promised to call your mother when you got to the mountains, but those plans had been trashed almost immediately. You sent her a quick text that you were already in Ignitia, and then asked what happened to Project: PIXEKAI for it to be abandoned.

After ensuring Atlas had done a full download of all the available data, you took off to find the missing employee again. You’d missed the grunts, but you could still get to Overseer Ira if you moved quickly enough. 

As fate would have it, you found both your objectives at once. The grunts had pinned whoever they’d been chasing, and you stumbled upon them just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation.

Well… more like argument.

The person was holding a package flush against their chest. “I’m telling you, it’s dangerous!”

“Just hand it over! We’ll let you go once you give us the package.” The lead grunt yelled.

“No one needs that kind of power! I won’t let you have it!” 

You took that as your cue to step in. “‘Scuse me, boys.” You opened your hand into a casual wave as you stepped into the middle of the grunts.

“Who do you think you are?!” One yelled, turning to deal with you as the rest kept their sights trained on the person with the package. 

You spun Vulpep’s trap on your finger idly, other hand resting in your pocket. “Mm, no one special.”

“Take care of that tamer already, we’ve got bigger fish to fry!”

“Your loss.” You shrugged, sending out your team. Vulpep and Felynth made quick work of the grunt, tag-teaming to avoid overheating in the harsh volcano. You turned to the rest of the members slowly, eyes dead. “Which one of you wants to go next?”

“W-wait a minute, I recognize this one! That’s the tamer that took out Overseer Ivan!” One of the remaining three yelled. 

“TACTICAL RETREAT!”

All the grunts teleported away, leaving you with one terrified-looking man.

“S-stay back! You want it for yourself too, don’t you?!”

“Are you alright?” You asked calmly, putting your Nexotraps away. “Sorry for the scare, I’m just not a fan of the Nexolord’s minions. Guessing by that package, you must be Ron’s missing employee. He sent me to come get you in exchange for some tickets to Ira’s concert. I’m Y/N.” You held out your hand for a handshake, and he eyed you warily.

“Is this a trick? You have to be trying to get your hands on this, too. I have to get rid of it!”

“I can genuinely say I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if you want to get rid of the package I’m not gonna stop you.” You shrugged, dropping your hand. It was clear this guy wasn’t about to shake it any time soon. 

“Y-you’re NOT trying to take this?” He stuttered.

You looked down at Atlas, mildly annoyed. “I don’t even know what it is, so I can’t say I really want it. Seems like trouble, if the Nexolord sent his underlings after you.”

“The Nexolord!” He yelled, arms tightening around the package again. 

“...What about him?” Atlas asked. This conversation was going in circles.

“T-this package! It’s going to the Nexolord himself! It’s a dangerous artifact!”

You made a humming noise in the back of your throat and cracked your knuckles. “If that’s the case, we’re definitely not delivering it.”

“I-it’s a Nexocore, one of the m-most powerful energy sources in the world!”

You let out a chuckle, surprising everyone. “Oh shit, my parents use those things. They’re scientists. Why’s the Nexolord need one?”

Ron’s employee narrowed his eyes at you. “I heard he’s getting a machine, too, and I’m betting this is going to be its power source.”

Your laughter abruptly stopped. “Goddammit.”

“What?” 

“Atlas, how much has Ellie told you about me?”

“Nothing! I didn’t know you existed beyond a name until this morning!” He smiled up at you.

You exhaled slowly, pushing the breath through your clenched teeth. “Great, ideal. Wonderful. Love to see it.” You turned with an alarming amount of speed to the employee. “What’s your plan for destroying this thing?”

He flinched at your serious tone. “That’s just the problem… I don’t know how to get rid of it. It’ll blow up if we toss it in the lava, and it emits a signal strong enough to be tracked anywhere, so we can’t just bury it somewhere either.”

You looked down at Atlas and pinched the bridge of your nose for a moment. “Hey, Atlas.”

“Yeah?”

“How do you feel about carrying the equivalent of a giant bomb?”

The little red robot was silent for a moment, just staring at you. “It’s either that or I stuff it in my backpack. If you can dampen the signal a bit like you did with the earpiece, we might be able to hide it long enough to face James.”

“Who’s James?” The employee looked between the two of you, confused.

You glanced over at him. “The Nexolord. His name’s James. I challenged him to a battle in three days’ time, but with all this going on, I might be facing him sooner than that.”

He blanched, and you could see his legs start to tremble. “Y-you?? Fight the Nexolord?!”

“Mmhmm. I’m gonna fill out my Nexopedia and fight him immediately after. So far, I’m about… 5 hours in.” You replied, checking your phone again.

He swallowed thickly. “You know they’ll follow you everywhere, right?”

“If we can’t get a handle on tamping the signal down, but they’ve been following me everywhere already. I can handle it.” You slapped your backpack over your shoulder. “More importantly, we should get you back to Ron before those grunts come hunting for you again.”

After loading the Nexocore into Atlas’s chamber, you escorted the employee back to Ron’s shop. Along the way, you listened as he relayed what had happened directly back to Ron with a walky-talky. Why he hadn’t dialled in sooner was beyond you. He also revealed that his name was Matthew, and that he was just working as a courier to make some extra money during college. 

You nodded along until you got back to Ron’s, where you exchanged Matthew for the tickets.

“Oh, and Y/N? Keep the Nexocore. I want nothing to do with the Nexolord.” Ron smiled, waving you off. “See you at the show!”

“Aren’t you coming now? The line was already forming before we went to search for Matthew…?” You asked over your shoulder, slowly moving towards where the line had been last time.

“Just need to tidy some things up at the shop first.” Ron waved one more time before stepping inside. 

You shrugged at Atlas and continued on. The line had completely disappeared, and you assumed that everyone was at the stage already. You flashed the bouncer your tickets and took a seat, curious why a rockstar would want to become an Overseer.

Oddly enough, you noticed that Ron was already in his seat. 

“He’s GOT to know how to teleport!” You hissed at Atlas, flashing the signal to turn communications back on.

“--and I don’t understand WHY they think I’m so untrustworthy!” James was yelling at someone, but you couldn’t be bothered to care right now.

“Hey, Nexolord, shut it. Ira’s about to perform. You can yell at whoever without the earpiece.”

You got to listen to him splutter for a few seconds before an explosion onstage rocked your eardrums. As the smoke cleared, there stood Ira and her band. 

“HELLOOOOOO IGNITIA!!” She called out, guitar held triumphantly above her head. You checked your phone. 12:30 sharp. You’d made record time finding Matthew and getting back. 

“ARE YOU READY FOR OVERSEER IRAAAAAAAAA????” The shrieks from the crowd were deafening. Guess these guys really liked their Overseer. “LET’S DO IT!”

Just as you were about to settle in to listen to Ira, your eyes glazed over. 

-

A white room. Inside are 6 people. The Nexolord, James. Fenrir, Champion of Fire. Nadine, Champion of Wind. A boy with striking violet hair and a yellow visor. A girl with long blue hair and a surfboard. And finally, a bedraggled looking scientist. 

“You’re late.” The Nexolord speaks. 

“Things happen buddy, you have no idea how hard it is to-” The unnamed scientist responds. 

The blue haired girl’s face flashes bright red with rage. “The Nexocore! Where is it?!”

The scientist sighs. “Yeah… they said some tamer stole it.”

“A tamer…” Nadine muses. “It couldn’t be the same one, could it?”

James pinches the bridge of his nose. “Of course it is...” 

The scientist mistakes his resignation for anger. “Hey, hey, it’s not the end of the world. I can find a replacement Nexocore.”

“No.” Fenrir speaks, looking up. “We will take it back.”

“I’ll go and finish this myself.” Nadine smiles, turning around. “It ought to be amusing, so watch me.”

Four people exit, leaving the Nexolord and the scientist alone. The scientist advances until he’s face-to-face with James.

“Hey buddy, a word of advice…”

“What?”

“You underestimate that tamer. I made the same mistake, long ago…”

The Nexolord sniffs disdainfully, looking down on the scientist. “You worry too much. Things work a little different here… this isn’t your fantasy video game world, Malk.”

-

As you came to, you realized the concert was ending. Atlas was cheering, completely oblivious to what just happened. You realized your hands were trembling, and your ears were definitely ringing from the music. You managed to get to your feet as people cleared out, leaving just you and Atlas. Ron cast a final look your way before scurrying back to his shop. You swayed on your feet, but you managed to approach Ira.

“What’s up, you want an autograph or somethin’?” She grinned, dropping to a squat on the stage so you were both at eye-level. For once, you let Atlas do all the talking.

“We’re actually here to ask about the Nexolord.” He smiled, trying the friendly approach first.

Her grin turned wicked as she looked you both over one more time. “It’s about the broadcast, isn’t it?”

“How’d you know?” Atlas asked, clapping his hands together happily.

She stood back to her full height, towering over you on top of the stage. “A little birdy told me you might be coming around.” With that, she turned around and started to head backstage. 

“Wait! Where are you going?” Atlas called. Now he was looking at you, and he’d finally realized you hadn’t spoken a word since the concert ended.

Ira turned around, meeting your eyes this time instead of talking to Atlas. “We both know what’s gonna happen. You want the broadcast? Come fight me for it.”

“Done.” Your voice rang out, low and heavy in the empty air. Overseer Ira narrowed her eyes, sensing the danger just from your voice. “Come on Atlas. Let’s not keep the Overseer waiting.”

You stepped up onto the stage and followed her to the back, drawing little circles on your leg with your finger. The last time you’d had something like that happen was this morning, but it had been happening ever since you were little. In the vision just before this one, you were facing down Omnicron. And losing. When you were younger, you’d chalked them up to nightmares. 

“Come on in!” She called over her shoulder, depositing her equipment before turning around to face you. “Y’know, I heard you beat Ivan this morning. Ya feelin’ good after beating that small fry?”

You stared at her with half-glazed eyes. “Not particularly. He was an embarrassment to Overseers, if I could beat him on my first day as a tamer. Did they tell you I stole my first Nexomon from the Nexolord himself, and that he let me keep it?”

You drew Vulpep’s trap out of your bag, holding it loosely in your hand. Ira looked nervous. She could sense something off about you.

“W-whatever!” She shook herself off, loosening up for the battle. “This is where things get serious. In the name of the Nexolord, you’re going down!”

You let a small smile play on your lips. “Hey, James, ya hear that? In your name, I’m going down.” You placed a finger on the earpiece to ensure she saw what you were talking about. You were pretty sure he wasn’t back from the meeting yet, and you didn’t see the earpiece on during your vision. He must’ve taken it off, so that meant those people were important. 

Regardless of whether or not James was actually listening, it threw Ira off even more than before. You absolutely slaughtered her team. She staggered back before letting out a laugh. “Heh, don’t think you’ve got me yet! I told you, I’m nothing like Ivan!”

“Congratulations, you know how to run two teams since you can’t take me out in one. Very impressive.” You deadpanned. Your attitude was definitely getting to her, because she let out a yell before she released her next set of Nexomon. 

You decided Vulpep had done enough carrying for the moment and let the other Nexomon on your team pick up some slack. Your two newest acquisitions, a Ferosera and Frulf you’d evolved into a Firius and Luberg, got to strut their stuff and clean up the battle. 

Ira was positively fuming, backed up against the wall and giving you a glare that could melt through metal.

“It’s over, Ira. Please show us the broadcast.” Atlas said.

“I-I can’t believe this! It’s just some stupid kidnapping mission!” She hissed. 

Atlas raised a digital eyebrow. “Kidnapping? Who are you kidnapping?”

She glared at the wall, refusing to look you in the eye now that you’d gone back to that half-glazed stare you had before the battle. During, at least there was a glint of something in there. At least your eyes weren’t empty. “Scientists…”

Atlas continued to push. As long as you could keep her stuck there with that glare, she wouldn’t try to bolt. “What for?”

“Psh, beats me. I just follow orders.”

“Can you at least give us the list of scientists?” 

You tilted your head up at that, showing at least a tiny bit of interest. Your parents and best friend were scientists, so it was only natural.

“Some guy named Dr. Oswald… a girl named Dr. Margo… an old dude named Dr. Hubert, and some chick named Ellie. She’s not even a doctor, so I don’t know why we want her. Maybe she’s some college brainiac, I dunno.” Ira shrugged.

You clapped a hand over Atlas’ speaker before he could say anything compromising and nodded. “Thanks for the help, Ira.”

You left with Atlas after giving him the signal to cut comms with the Nexolord, and the second you were out of Ira’s earshot you started trying to make contact. “Ellie, report in. You’re on a kidnapping list for the Nexolord. If you don’t respond, Atlas and I are going to assume you’ve already been taken.”

...Silence. You took a deep breath and prepared to leave, but suddenly Ira walked out.

“Mm? What’s up?” You asked, tilting your head just a bit.

She rubbed the back of her head and flashed you both a toothy grin. “Look, I support the Nexolord… but! I appreciate you comin’ to my concert… so I’m gonna tell you right now, you should look for the other scientists first. Your friend’s the youngest on the list, so they probably already got her. The other dudes are older and wiser, so they’ve got a better shot at hiding.”

You rolled the idea around your head for a bit and eventually nodded. “She’s right, Atlas.”

“What?! But Master Ellie is our priority!” He whined.

“If we spend all our time looking for Ellie, that’s just more time they can spend finding the other scientists. We’ll keep heading towards the Frozen Tundra, and whoever we find along the way is who we’re saving.” You took another deep breath, trying to control your heart. It had been racing ever since you woke up from the vision, but upon hearing Ellie’s name on the Nexolord’s list… it was a wonder you weren’t under cardiac arrest right now. “Thank you, Ira. For what it’s worth, I hope you stay safe.” As the last remnants of the vision finally left your eyes, you gave her a small nod. 

She seemed even more flustered by that than anything you’d done before. “Ah, mm, let me give you guys a head start. Dr. Margo, this is actually her hometown. But she doesn’t like the noise, so she spends her time in the jungle. She’s probably still there, especially since it’s a concert day.”

You looked at Atlas and nodded. “It’s a long shot, but we don’t have anything else to go off of.”

“Yeah, yeah. You two should clear out of here real soon, before my folks show up.” She smirked.

“You called them while we were talking?!” Atlas yelled, grabbing your hand and starting to pull.

She shrugged, grinning as he dragged you away. “I still work for the Nexolord, little robot dude. And YOU,” She pointed her finger directly at you, “We’ll meet again.”

“I don’t doubt it.” You sighed, finally picking up the pace and racing with Atlas to get out of Ignitia before the place was crawling with minions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dang, you didn't even get a chance to heal your Nexomon before hitting the jungle... hope nothing too crazy happens.


	5. Explorers and Escapes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet your first (and second) legendary Nexomon

The jungle was hot, but in a very different way from Ignitia. The air was warm and humid and you could feel the bugs all around you. 

“Y/N, where are you right now?” James asked, startling you. You hadn’t heard him pick the earpiece back up.

You looked down at Atlas for a split second before replying. “Not in Ignitia, if you’re wondering about Ira’s request for backup.”

You heard him sigh directly into your ear. “I thought that was you. Tell me, are you going to continue showing up in the wrong place at the wrong time? I just had someone steal an important package in Ignitia, and you end up in the exact same area.”

“Can’t help it. Nadine made Remus take off, so I had to go to Ira, and she called backup before I could get any useful information out of her, so now I have to find another Overseer to give me pointers on how to beat you.” The lies rolled off your tongue one after the other, and you just found yourself hoping that Atlas was strong enough to weaken the Nexocore’s signal.

Within minutes you were deep into the jungle, slinking through the shadows and catching the occasional Nexomon. Thanks to your stealth, you saw something downright terrifying.

An owl, massive and resting on a cloud. In the clearing right in front of you. Your hands shook as you pulled out a Golden Nexotrap. It turned its head 180 degrees to look at you, then pivoted the rest of its body. You watched as it zoned in on the trap in your hand. 

_ This is it. This is how I die. _

After what felt like an eternity, it simply lowered its head. You took a deep breath. And lobbed it. 

“A-Atlas?”

“Yeah…?” He squeaked. 

“What was that?”

“I-It’s not in any known database. Should I search the internet?”

You swallowed hard, leaning down to pick up the Nexotrap. “Y-yeah. Anything about owls.”

You immediately added it to your team. One more Nexomon, and you thought you’d have a pretty concrete team for taking on the Nexolord. You’d done some research, and at the end of the day your team would look like Kitsunox, Felicient, Carnagrius, Arctivore, and whoever else you added. 

“Are you in danger? Do I need to send a rescue team?” James whispered, fear obvious in his voice.

“Luhava. Its name is Luhava.” Atlas whispered, lighting up his face-display with an urban legend.

“I’m fine. We’re fine. Now.” You breathed out, fist closing around the Nexotrap. 

“What happened?!”

You figured if anyone would know, it would be him. “James, have you heard of a Nexomon called Luhava?”

The earpiece was silent, and you kept moving. 

After what felt like hours (but according to your phone was closer to 20 minutes of wandering), you stumbled upon a small village. It was mostly empty, but there was a healing center, and that was what you needed. Vulpep was one level away from evolving. You just hoped the nurse wouldn’t ask about the Golden Nexotrap. Luckily, she seemed preoccupied with talking about the mysterious tamer sweeping the Overseers. You laughed along with her and pretended that you were just a random explorer searching for Khan Woods, whatever that was.

Apparently, this camp was created for the explorers who were searching for a secret civilization hidden deep in the forest. You had a feeling that the people with the white tattoos knew more than what they let on, since they clearly weren’t exploring tamers. They kept referencing Ulzar, the famous tamer who’d defeated Omnicron when he first waged war on the humans.

You continued through the settlement, making note of the mineshaft no one seemed to want to explore.

Along the way, you found your final teammate: Spink. You quickly trained it up to a Vivizard of the same level as the rest of your team. As you were hitting the eastern limit of the explorer’s area, you happened upon a crying girl with light green hair. 

“I ruined everything! I’m a fraud!” She wailed. The rest of the explorers in the area seemed to be ignoring her, for some reason. “This is all wrong, and it’s all my fault!” 

You got down on one knee in front of her. “Are you alright, miss?”

“A-and now I’m hearing voices!” She blubbered, refusing to open her eyes. “Am I going crazy too?!” 

You looked at Atlas for support. He shrugged, but tried to help anyways. “Miss, can you open your eyes for us?”

“U-um… okay.” She sniffled, slowly opening her eyes. She froze as she saw you kneeling in front of her.

“What’s your name, miss?” You asked, holding out your arm. “Can you stand?”

“D-Deena. My name is Deena. I’m… I’m an explorer.” She flushed, clearly embarrassed by the situation. 

“Why were you crying, Miss Deena?” Atlas asked, wheeling around to stand in front of her. 

Abruptly, she dropped back to her knees and started bawling again. You nearly fell with her, barely catching your balance. “Because I’m a terrible explorer!!! I was so CLOSE to finding the Hidden Village, but the tunnel was so dark and creepy that I just ran away!!”

You shared a look with Atlas.  _ This is the place we’ve been looking for! _ “Hidden Village?” He probed carefully.

“Yes!” She whimpered. “A secret place where the great and ancient tamers would gather!”

“If Dr. Margo’s smart enough to be targeted by the Nexolord, she should be smart enough to get into the Hidden Village to hide herself.” You hummed, tapping the side of your jaw. “Miss Deena, would you be willing to show us the path? We’re more than happy to accompany you through the tunnel you mentioned.”

Like flipping another switch, Deena went from crying to excited in less than a second. She jumped up and grabbed both of your hands, faces less than an inch apart. You decided she had very pale green eyes. “Thank you thank you thank you!! The tunnel is in the settlement you passed through to get here!”

“Oh, the old mineshaft-looking-thing?” You asked, tilting your head again. 

“Yeah! There!” She released one of your hands to pump her fist in the air, then immediately took it again. “Come on, let’s go!!” 

And so, you found yourself being dragged through the forest by a girl named Deena, and for a little while you were so caught up in her contagious excitement that you forgot that your earpiece had been silent for quite a while now.

The hold into the cave was small, and the wooden ladder was made… poorly, to say the least. You made room in your backpack for Atlas, not trusting his wheel with getting down ladders. You went first, dropping Atlas back onto the ground and having him light up the area with Firius while Deena made her descent. 

“This is definitely not somewhere I’d want to go without a light.” You murmured, helping her down the final step. Firius made an approximation of a mewl, but it came out closer to a growl. You ruffled its ears and looked back to Deena. “Where to, explorer?”

She put her hands on her hips and grinned, taking the lead.

As she led you through the cave (it was fairly straightforward with both Atlas and Firius lighting the way, but you imagined it would be quite easy to get turned around in the dark), you spent the time defending everyone from the wild Nexomon. It was inside this cave that Vulpep finally evolved into Kitsunox, and you finally allowed him to traverse alongside you without his Nexotrap. 

“That’s such a cool Nexomon! I want to be a tamer someday, too…” Deena looked at him wistfully. 

You tilted your head just a fraction, puzzled. “Deena, how old are you?”

She froze, grabbing your arm. You wanted to repeat the question, but she wasn’t even looking at you. Slowly, you directed your attention to where she was looking. A man with the same white tattoos as the people at the camp was standing guard, all alone.

Kitsunox and Firius were already in battle position, and you had to hold out a hand to prevent them from just charging the man. If you could get out of this without a fight, you’d like to. 

Your hopes were dashed as you approached.

“Halt! This is no place for outsider. No outsider!” He slammed the butt of his spear into the ground and you held up your hands.

Before you could utter another word, though, you were embroiled in a Nexomon battle. 

You sighed, looked over at Kitsunox, and simply uttered. “Go ahead.”

The battle was even quicker than before, and you wondered just how strong you were actually becoming. If this trend continued, you’d be able to take out the Nexolord with ease. 

The man jumped back and glared at you through the holes of his mask. “Greater warriors await. Outsiders perish. Perish!”

Your eyes widened. Had this man meant to kill you, or just make you turn around? Kitsunox took a protective step in front of you, growling at the now-beaten tamer as he ran deeper into the cave.

“Thank you, Kitsunox. You did well.” You placed a hand on his shoulder, then turned around. “Are you alright, Deena?”

She was completely star-struck, staring at you like you’d hung the sun. “...Deena?”

“That was amazing! You’re so strong!!!” She flung herself at you, bouncing your arms excitedly. 

You laughed and rubbed the back of your head, embarrassed. “It’s nothing, really. Kitsunox does all the fighting anyways.”

Firius butted your leg and you bit back a laugh. “And Firius, of course. Don’t worry, I’ll let you all battle too. I just don’t want you getting hurt, if these guys are as ruthless as they seem.”

You encountered one more tamer inside the cave, and after beating him he ran off to tell the ‘leader,’ whoever that was. 

“Hey, is that light up ahead?” You asked, squinting at a higher part of the cave. Kitsunox easily lifted up onto his shoulders so you could get a better look. “It’s the exit! Come on!” 

You hopped down and started running, pursued by everyone else. Once you were back in the light of day, you dropped to one knee and scritched Firius’ jaw. “You did great in there buddy. I’m gonna put you back in the Nexotrap now, alright? Don’t want the forest to burn down if you get excited.” You teased, giggling as Firius dragged a rough tongue over your cheek. 

Deena was running all over the place and furiously taking notes while talking to herself. “This is amazing! I can’t believe we made it through!! We HAVE to be close to the Hidden Village now.”

All of a sudden, she was standing right in front of you, Atlas, and Kitsunox again. “Did you know there’s an ex-Overseer who supposedly lives here?!”

“WHAT?!” You and Atlas shrieked. Kitsunox got into battle-pose again, ears pivoting wildly as he tried to locate the source of danger.

Deena giggled. “Don’t worry, he left because he opposes the current Nexolord! Overseer Khan’s only loyal to ex-Nexolord Remus!”

You let out a dramatic gasp of relief and put a hand on Kitsunox’s shoulder, letting him know there was no present danger. He growled something in Deena’s direction and she gave him a look. 

“Alright, alright, it’s fine.”

“Y/N, are you still there? I just did some research on Luhava, please tell me you didn’t seriously just run into a legendary Nexomon?” James’ voice sounded through your earpiece.

You froze, staring at the ground. “I mean it’s been a hot minute so I definitely didn’t JUST run into Luhava.”

“YOU RAN INTO WHAT?!” Deena shrieked.

“Who’s that?”

“I ran into an explorer, she’s showing me around. What’s wrong with Luhava?” You turned your head and pointed at the earpiece to show Deena. For a brief moment, panic was all you could see on her face. 

“Ah, nothing’s  _ wrong  _ with it, per-se, just that you might be the only living human who’s seen it?”

“Good thing I caught it, then.” You whispered, hand firmly on your backpack. Luckily, neither Deena nor James seemed to hear you. “Cool. Good to know, I guess. Is there anything I should know about it?”

“It’s an extraordinarily powerful wind Nexomon and you could’ve very easily been murdered. Like, so easily.”

“Yeah, I got that impression.”

“How did you escape?!” Deena asked, putting both her hands on your shoulders. 

You bit your tongue, torn between wanting to explain the strange encounter and knowing that catching a legendary Nexomon was probably highly illegal (not to mention you wanted to use it on your final team against the Nexolord). “Honestly I think I just got lucky, but it’s fine, we’ve got more important stuff to worry about right now. Let’s just keep going.”

“Where are you anyways?” James asked. You were hoping he wouldn’t.

Luckily, you still had the excuse that you didn’t want him knowing where you were so he couldn’t guess what Nexomon you were catching. “Nunya business, nosey. If you know where I am, you know what types of Nexomon I’m hunting.”

“You said you were going to fill out your Nexopedia, so that doesn’t mean much to me. I’d just prefer knowing you’re out of harm’s way.”

“That’s ominous.” You muttered. “I’m still not telling you.”

“I would expect nothing less from my little thief.”

For a moment, you saw red. 

_ HIS little thief? _

You took a very deep breath and flexed your hand a few times. “Uh-huh, sure, we’ll go with that.  _ Your _ little thief. Right.”

You neutralized your face, calling on all 3 years of practice to do so. You’d definitely have to beat his team into the ground now. Just for that little comment.

As much as you wanted to stay stone-faced for your own sake, you couldn’t help the surprise that took over your features at seeing “RON! What the HELL are you doing here?!” 

You practically launched yourself over the edge of the small cliff, landing in a roll and popping up in front of an equally-surprised looking Ron and a nurse. Kitsunox leapt over easily after you, but Atlas and Deena had to take the long way around. 

“I could ask you the same, Y/N. I’m a traveling salesman, after all, so it’s only natural I strike up a trade with under-served communities. But how did YOU get here?”

“Ron? Ron the shopkeep?” James buzzed in your ear. “Where ARE you?!”

Deena piped up, and this time she didn’t scream so the Nexolord couldn’t overhear her. “We’re searching for the Hidden Village and Overseer Khan!”

“I see. You’ll be needing some supplies, then!” He clapped his paws together, pulling his gigantic backpack off and displaying his wares.

You knelt down, taking off your own pack to check what you needed. “Honestly, I think I just need more Nexotraps. And maybe a few revives…” You tapped your chin. “Yeah, that should be fine. I’ll take your entire supply of Nexotraps and 10 revives if you have them.”

“How… how much money did you just spend?!” James asked softly, dumbstruck.

“Nun. Ya. Business. I’ve got a Nexopedia to complete.” You loaded your backpack with the traps and revives and stood back up, handing your Nexomon to the nurse quickly before thanking them both and heading off with Deena again. 

You encountered (and defeated) one final tamer before stumbling upon the village. He threatened you with the mysterious ‘leader’ just like the previous one, and you had a feeling they were talking about Khan. 

“Hey, Y/N? I’ve got a bad feeling about this… Could Dr. Margo have actually made it this far on her own?” Atlas asked, tugging on your hand.

You bit your lip and shrugged. “It’s our only shot, so we have to hope she’s smart enough to get in.”

Houses and people slowly started appearing around you. 

“This must be it! The Hidden Village!! Y/N, we did it!!!” Deena squealed. Once again, you found yourself holding her hands and being bounced wildly. You couldn’t help the smile that spread over your face, she was just an infectiously happy person! “Overseer Khan made this place as a safe haven away from the Nexolord!”

“So it’s a recent development?” You asked. James hadn’t been Nexolord for  _ that  _ long, had he?

“Come on, let’s go find Dr. Margo.” Atlas gave you a thumbs up, and you suddenly realized the earpiece was still on. You quickly flashed the signal and then started looking around. 

Everyone here was talking about Ulzar, the hero of mankind. You recalled from a general history course that he saved the world from Omnicron, the King of Nexomon. According to these people, he was born in this very forest. Thinking a little harder, he’d also created the Warp Totem system, but it had fallen out of use as its power supply drained. They were mostly decorational now. You placed a hand on the Totem in the center of the village, wondering how much it would take to turn them back on. Before you could think too much longer on it, Atlas grabbed your hand and pointed to the massive tree just up the way.

You started towards it, only to see someone else leaving through a massive hole in the trunk. You stared each other down for a few moments. 

“H-hello?” Deena squeaked, hiding behind you and Kitsunox.

“SILENCE!”

“Eep!” 

“I am Khan.” The man glared at all four of you. “Outsiders. Why do you trespass my inner sanctum?”

“We’re searching for Dr. Margo. She’s in danger.” You replied carefully.

His eyes narrowed, zoning in on you. “Khan not trust you. No trust!”

“We haven’t even done anything to you! Your village is completely fine!” Atlas complained. You glared at him, willing him to shut up before Khan decided to just kick you all out with his entire village. You could handle a few warriors on their own, but the entire village at once? No chance.

“Master Khan! Master Khan!” Your heads whipped around to look at the villager running towards you. “A Nexolord warrior has broken into the village!”

“Shit.” You hissed, looking back at Khan. A brief moment of understanding passed. “We’ll hold them off, you rally your warriors!”

He nodded, and then you were all off. You yelled for Deena to stay put while you dealt with the intruders. There was no reason for her to get hurt just because she wanted to stay by your side. 

You found the intruder, already surrounded by a group of warriors. 

“Someone call Khan!”

“We can’t hold him back!”

The intruder, a man wearing a long white coat and a black cowboy hat, tsked at the group. “What a waste. None of you are my target.”

You wormed your way through the group to stand in front of him. “All of you, go back to Khan. I’ll handle this.”

They grumbled at the order from an ‘outsider,’ but there was no way around it. 

You finally met the intruder’s eyes. “There’s no need to terrorize the villagers. I know you’re after me.”

“Y/N, don’t!” Atlas hissed. You continued to stare at the man, appraising all his weapons. This was a bounty hunter, no doubt, and from the look of those weapons this might not end with a simple Nexomon battle.

“So, the thieves finally reveal themselves. Hand over the goods, and maybe I’ll let you go.”

You laughed, stopped, then laughed again. “You-- you didn’t think that would  _ actually  _ work, did you?”

He smirked, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “I was givin’ you an out, youngun’. When you work this job long as I have, you stop expecting  _ anyone  _ to cooperate. I might not know what you’re all plannin’, but with how much the Nexolord’s payin’ for that Nexocore, I might just retire for good. Add that to my bonus for burnin’ this jungle to the ground, and… well.” He leered at you.

“Kitsunox. Protect the jungle.” You stepped back. He launched himself at the bounty hunter, snarling as he met another Nexomon in combat. You just sat back and watched as the hunter got progressively more nervous. Four Nexomon later and you put a hand on Kitsunox’s shoulder. “Well done.”

“So this is why the Nexolord’s payin’ so handsomely… If you ever wanna become a bounty hunter, let me know.” He flicked his hat up so you could see his eyes again. 

You rolled your shoulders. “I’ve got my sights set a bit higher. You shoulder get out of this jungle, though.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Now that I’ve failed the Nexolord, sure. You two should be makin’ tracks too, before he sends the reinforcements.”

You waited for him to teleport away before addressing Atlas. “We need to ditch the Nexocore, and fast. There’s no way I can keep pulling these lies off to James if he figures out I’m in the same location as the core.”

Back at the giant tree, you found Khan dealing with the last of his warriors. They went scattering into the woods, likely to cover enough ground to spot any incoming threats. 

“...Why you seek Margo woman? She under protection inside Great Tree of Ventra.” He grimaced and bared his teeth. “But no more! Because of you, Nexolord know!” He pointed the end of his staff directly at your chest. 

“Regardless, we need to get Margo before the Nexolord does.” You responded. 

He growled to himself, then turned around. “Khan get Margo. You stay here.”

“We can handle ourselves!” Atlas protested.

“STAY. HERE.” He ordered, heading into the tree. 

You waited for about a minute, then started walking with Kitsunox. You waved a hand over your shoulder to indicate Atlas and Deena should follow. At the first climbing vine, you put Atlas into your backpack again. He held onto your shoulders and watched above as you climbed. 

Deena was the first to comment on the… strange… nature of the tree. “These proportions don’t make any sense. This tree shouldn’t be able to support its own weight!”

“Hey, Deena, you’re a history buff, right?” Atlas asked as you continued your climb upwards.

She nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“Khan said this was the Great Tree of Ventra. Who’s Ventra?”

“Oh, Ventra’s a mythical Nexomon! One of Omnicron’s seven children. Ventra of the Wind, Fona of the Fire, Grunda of the Earth, etcetera. Omnicron ordered the destruction of humanity, so the Seven Myths launched a huge war! But Ulzar managed to defeat them all forever. This is supposedly the tree where he defeated Ventra!” She rambled. You were trying to listen as best as you could while still watching your step. You were easily a hundred feet off the ground already. 

“What happened to Omnicron, then?” Atlas continued.

“He and Ulzar had a big showdown, Ulzar won, and that’s how he became the first Nexolord!”

The two chattered about random topics as you continued to lead the climb, and eventually you made it to the top. Judging by the sun, it was about 1:30. 

You peered your head up over the last, largest branch and spotted Khan. Normally, that wouldn’t have been a problem. However, you also spotted…

Nadine.

She zoned in on you instantly as you climbed up, pulling Deena and Kitsunox up behind you. “Well well, we meet again. I thought you might show up.” She smiled wickedly. When you didn’t respond, she shifted to annoyed. “I’m doing fine, thanks for asking. Overseer Remus, though…” 

You narrowed your eyes at her.

“Now, now, don’t give me that look. You should be happy! I’m in a stellar mood. Not only do I get to capture that annoying scientist, I get to rid the world of you nuisances!” 

You glanced to the side at Khan, but he was giving Nadine the most piercing stare you’d ever seen in your life. 

“What are you staring at, creep?” Nadine returned his glare full-force.

“You not fool Khan.”

“What?”

“ _ You not true human. _ ” 

Nadine’s face paled with surprise before turning bright red. “Hmph, I guess I shouldn’t have expected anything less from a spiritual Overseer.” She jumped backwards 20 feet in a single bound and grinned. “I don’t usually do this, so here’s some advice…”

Her body began to morph in a horrifying display, and Kitsunox immediately stepped in front of everyone, prepared to hold her off so you could escape. 

“ **_DON’T FALL OFF THE TREE IN FEAR!_ ** ”

A giant Nexomon beat its wings, floating in air above the place Nadine had just been. Her teal wings quickly whipped up a storm, and you lowered yourself onto the branch for stability. Atlas’ fingers dug into your shoulders as he held on for dear life, and you felt Deena lock arms with you as she copied your stance. 

“VENTRAAAAA!” Khan shrieked. He was perfectly balanced on the tree, standing tall and imposing in the face of a monster. 

“Isn’t she supposed to be dead?! Deena?!” Atlas screamed over the wind. 

“This can’t be happening!” She yelled, wide-eyed. 

Ventra landed, spreading her wings wide. “Free from Ulzar’s chains, the second child of Omnicron is reborn. I AM VENTRA OF THE TEMPEST!” She shrieked, charging everyone. “Behold and tremble, mortals, for I am the empress of the skies!”

Khan shielded you from her first pass, but she was quickly rounding for another charge. “You all, run! Khan hold off Ventra!”

“I shall cleanse this world of Ulzar’s brethren once more!” 

You clapped a hand on Ulzar’s shoulder. “We’re not leaving you behind!”

“There’s no way we could outrun her!” Atlas added.

“Foolish humans! You share Ulzar’s great delusion, and for that you shall share his fate!” 

“KITSUNOX, NOW!” You yelled, releasing the rest of your team. Together, you all charged Ventra.

She laughed as you pelted her with every attack you had. “Is this the best you’ve got, brethren of Ulzar?”

“You fool!” Khan yelled, racing after you. Your Nexomon fell, one by one, as Ventra continued to laugh. Eventually, it was down to just you. Khan pulled you back, wrapped his other arm around Deena, and jammed his staff into the ground. The world flashed white, black, white, black, and then you were gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, Deena sure is lucky! I wonder why no one's recognized her...  
> And what was that look Luhava gave you???


	6. Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you discover a cursed town and have a suspicious meeting

The world seemed to swirl around you, colors blending and warping until you had to close your eyes or risk going insane. 

“Y/N? We’re here.” You felt a soft hand on your shoulder and opened your eyes. Wherever you were, it definitely wasn’t the tree.

“Khan use teleportation spell. We safe. For now…” He crossed his arms, staring you down.

“I can’t believe we saw Ventra!” Deena rubbed at her face as you helped Atlas out of your bag. You were just glad he hadn’t blown out during the storm. “She was supposed to have been defeated by  _ Ulzar  _ centuries ago!”

“Listen up!” Khan slammed his staff into the ground once again, snapping you all to attention. “Khan not have all answers, but world in terrible danger. Legacy of Ulzar in terrible danger! You must speak with him.” He pointed his staff at you. “Speak with Ulzar himself!”

You knitted your brows together in confused, but Atlas beat you to the question. “Ulzar’s been dead for years, how is Y/N supposed to speak to him?”

“Speak with spirit of Ulzar! Overseer of this place, Spiritual Master, she former apprentice of Khan. She help you find scientists, too.”

“Why can’t YOU summon his spirit then?” Atlas rebutted.

He glared at the small bot, shutting him up immediately. “Khan use all power on gift for you. Open ancient Warp Network. Use to return to Warp Totems you’ve visited before, escape from Nexolord’s warriors.” Khan strode to the totem and place his hand on it. “Khan leave you now. Must return to village, protect from Nexolord.”

You looked up at him one last time. “Thank you, Overseer Khan. You’ve done us a great service. I hope to repay it one day.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Defeat Nexolord. Debt repaid. Take care of Luhava.”

You nodded and watched as he disappeared before your eyes. “And what about you, Deena?”

She had been watching quietly from the back. “Could I… stay with you guys for a little longer? I want to see Master Ulzar too…” 

“Then it’s settled!” Atlas nodded. “We have to find this place’s Overseer and get her to summon Ulzar for us!”

You nodded and started walking again. Your legs were starting to get sore from the constant fleeing. “Deena, I’m guessing you already know I’m talking to someone through this earpiece, right?”

“Yeah, I was actually gonna ask about that!”

“It’s the Nexolord.”

“WHAT.” She stopped moving and you waited for her to un-freeze before responding.

“It’s the Nexolord. I challenged him to a battle in 3 days’ time this morning, and he gave me this to keep tabs on me. I’ve been trying to get him to slip up and reveal what his plans are, since my parents are the scientists working on his project. Atlas can jam the signal, and we’ve been turning it on and off as needed. I’m going to turn it on again, and I want everyone to be completely silent. If he thinks the signal is still out, he might say something.”

Deena just gaped as you explained the events of your morning, but nodded at the request. You flashed Atlas the signal again. And you waited. 

“What do you MEAN you saw them?! … Why the hell were they the Hidden Village? … YOU WHAT?! NADINE I SWEAR TO OMNICRON IF THEY’RE DE-- … You are SO lucky they escaped. … It’s not an obsession! What, I’m not allowed to keep an eye on the child of my top two scientists?? … I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH THEM!”

You face went bright pink and you stumbled, Deena just barely catching you before you hit the sidewalk. You were almost to the city, and you’d been getting a strange feeling as you got closer that was entirely unrelated to the half-conversation blaring in your ear.

“THEN WHY ARE YOU STILL WEARING THAT STUPID EARPIECE?!” You heard Nadine yelling faintly. If she was being loud enough for the earpiece to pick it up… 

You nodded your thanks at Deena and kept walking. As much as you wanted to keep eavesdropping and hopefully get James to spill his plans, none of you were prepared to see what looked like a ghost child crying just outside the city.

“What the fuck?! Atlas, scan that!” 

Kitsunox immediately took the front again, ready to fight.

“Turn back!! Overseer Hilda’s gone crazy!!” The child cried, spotting the four of you. “The entire town is cursed! RUN!”

“Y/N!?” James yelled in your ear.

“JAMES THERE’S FUCKING GHOSTS HERE WHAT THE FUCK!” You yelled.

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” James screamed.

“RUN AWAY!!!” The child shrieked. 

All in all, it was a very loud 5 seconds.

“SHUT UP!” Deena yelled, stunning everyone into silence. “What do you mean the town is cursed?” She turned to the kid, kneeling down to get on his level.

“Overseer Hilda cursed everyone! And now we’re all ghosts!” He sobbed. 

You stared at the ground, flustered at Deena of all people taking charge. You weren’t afraid of ghosts, but to see one in real life… they were supposed to be dead! But… so was Ventra…

VENTRA! 

You jerked your head up and spun around, getting some distance between yourself and everyone else before talking. “James, Nadine is Ventra, one of Omnicron’s children. She tried to fucking kill me.”

“So I heard! What the HELL were you doing in Khan’s village?!”

“The same fucking thing I’m doing everywhere!”

“Trying to get killed?!”

“Trying to train my team so I can come kick your ass! But your fucking Champion is a Nexomon!!! You. Are. In. Danger! Dumbass!” 

“I’m sending someone to come get you, this has gone on long enough. You keep getting mixed up with my team, and I don’t want to find out from one of my Champions that you got killed in the crossfire. You can train the Frozen Tundra, at least I can keep an eye on you there…”

You froze. “If I see a single one of your little henchmen I’m chucking this earpiece and disappearing. You will NEVER find me until I show up for our battle.”

“Are you threatening me?!”

“I’m not joking, James! If I see a single one of them I’m GONE.”

You heard him swearing under his breath, but it wasn’t clear enough to make out what he was saying. “Fine! Fine. You win. But if I hear you’re in the same place as one of my teams again, I’m telling them to bring you in. And while you have service, you still didn’t answer me. Where are you?!”

“A fuckin’ ghost town, I guess!” You groaned, walking back to Deena. 

“Who’s the Overseer closest to you?”

You racked your brain for whoever that little kid had mentioned. “Uh… Hilda? I think?”

“GodDAMMIT Y/N, you need to get out of there NOW! I have a team headed there to retrieve a stolen package of mine.”

“What package?” You glanced down at Atlas, finger over your lips.

“It’s top-secret, but you need to leave. This person has been evading us since Ignitia, and we don’t even know what they look like. I sent a bounty hunter, but he just disappeared.”

You clenched your teeth. For all of Atlas’ capabilities, he still wasn’t able to completely mask the Nexocore’s signal. “We need to talk to Hilda first. Then we’ll clear out.”

“Please go quickly. I don’t want you caught up in the middle of it.”

The concern would’ve been touching, if you weren’t the very person he was about to attack. And if you hadn’t heard that conversation before between him and Ventra…

“Come on, we need to go. Ghosts or not.” You grabbed Deena and Atlas by the hand and nodded to Kitsunox. The entire town watched as you headed in, whispering fearfully about Hilda’s wrath. Apparently, she lived in a mansion behind the graveyard. Of course.

There was an old man sitting in the middle of the yard, and after several unsuccessful attempts at communication, you tried to move around him. 

“You sure you wanna go in there?” He finally spoke up, just as you were about to enter the next set of gates. “The Witch smiles as you walk into her deadly domain… hehehe…” 

Before you could ask him what he meant, he was leaving. You chased him down to the docks, where he was tending a lone boat.

“Sir. Sir!” You panted, finally catching up to him.

“Eh? What do you want with Alfred, Gravekeeper of this cursed town?” He grumbled, turning around. 

“What did you mean by the Witch smiling on us?! Why is her domain deadly?!?!” Atlas asked, cowering behind you.

His faced morphed into some terrible approximation of a grin as he laughed. “Overseer Hilda… she cursed this town in the name of the Nexolord! All our people, turned to wisps! Not sleeping, not eating, not working… All they can do is have Nexomon battles!”

“Why aren’t you a wisp?” Atlas asked. 

“I don’t know… I’ve spent my days spooking adventurers like you, to keep you away. All who enter her domain are cursed forever!”

You rubbed at your face, irritated. “Deena, I won’t make you come with if you don’t want to… Deena?” You turned around, hearing no reply.

She was gone.

“What the?!” 

“The witch has made her move! Your friend has been captured, and Hilda won’t stop until she has both of you as well.” 

You muttered a slew of curses under your breath, then turned back to the old man. “We need to rescue her. Will you help us?”

“Ha!” He cackled. “How can the two of you hope to take on an Overseer like Hilda?! Besides, I won’t put my body on the line for nothing.”

You and Atlas sighed. “What do you want?” 

“I have a… problem. A certain ghostly Nexomon has been haunting my home. Get rid of it, and I’ll help you.”

“Done, where’s your house?” You asked, all business. You’d spent more than enough time bumbling around, and you were getting increasingly worried for Ellie’s safety. Not to mention you hadn’t found Dr. Margo in the Hidden Village, meaning she’d probably already been taken by Ventra. If you had to guess, she’d teleported Margo away and then come back to take care of Khan.

After getting the directions from Alfred, you and Atlas took off for his house with a renewed sense of fury. Hilda wouldn’t know what hit her. 

Inside the house, you encountered a wild Monexus lurking in his bedroom. You took it out with relative ease, but before you could leave…

“That was easy!” Atlas cheered.

“Was it so?” A voice called out behind you. Kitsunox and Felicient (who had just evolved) spun around, hackles raised and growling. A ghostly girl was hovering just in front of you. “You were mean to my little pet. Is it because I took your friend?” She laughed. “If you want to see her so badly, I can assure you you’ll be by her side soon, hehehe…” 

She disappeared before you could retort, and you growled in frustration.

“Are you alright? What’s going on?”

You turned all your fury into the earpiece. “Your little Overseer kidnapped my friend, that’s what!”

Alfred walked up the steps and you tuned out whatever the Nexolord was saying, hands on your hips as you glared at him.

“Oh, you actually did it! Excellent. Follow me, your friend may not have much time left.” He turned, heading back downstairs. He continued to talk as you headed back into the graveyard. “You seem capable of handling yourself, so I won’t stop you from going after Hilda. But I WILL give you this warning. Hilda is a master of deception, and she has created an endless maze you must traverse to get to her home. I only know that if you head south, you will always come out in this graveyard. Supposedly there are other wisps inside who can show you the way out…” 

Alfred started grumbling to himself again and you figured that was all the useful information you’d get out of him. “Ready Atlas?”

“Ready! Let’s go save Deena!”

You two started into the maze, only to realize Alfred was apparently coming with too. You shrugged at each other and continued through, challenging the wisps to Nexomon battles for information. By the time you were through, everyone in your team had fully evolved. According to Atlas, you were averaging mid-fifties. A formidable team, indeed. After what felt like hours, you finally escaped. Your watch read 2:00pm sharp, and you looked down at Atlas. 

“How… how long were we in there, Atlas?”

“Easily an hour and a half, maybe more!”

“It’s 2. What… did she create a time dilation effect within the maze?” You pondered, wondering how long those wisps had been trapped in there if you’d only been gone for a half hour of real-world time. You could age years in there and the world would be exactly the same as when you left.

“This is where I leave you whipper-snappers!” Alfred chuckled, looking up at Hilda’s home. “Bye-bye!”

“Thank you for the assistance, Alfred.” You called over your shoulder as he left. 

“Aren’t you going to ask him to stay?!” Atlas yiped. 

You shook your head. “You saw him. He’s not made for fighting Overseers. We’re lucky he even took us this far.”

“Hello? Are you back?”

“Huh?” You asked, listening into the earpiece again. “Did we go offline again?” You looked at Atlas, who shook his head. Hilda must’ve hidden the signal within the maze, too… that could’ve been truly dangerous. 

“Oh, good, I lost you again.”

“Yeah, this earpiece has kinda been through hell and back. I’m surprised it works at all.”

You waited for him to start talking again, then flash Atlas the signal halfway through one of his sentences. As was tradition, you didn’t want him overhearing you getting into battles with Overseers. 

You stepped into the empty house, quietly looking around for anything that would indicate where Hilda was. 

“My sensors are picking something up. Help me look around!” Atlas whispered, wheeling through the dining room. You nodded and started moving things around, searching for any hidden objects. As you found a level behind a clock, Atlas called out saying he’d found out behind a table with a flowerpot on it. 

You pulled them both at once, and the house vibrated.

“The bookshelves are moving!” Atlas yelled over the shaking.

You ran into the adjoining room and sure enough, there was a hidden passage behind the shelves. “Hilda HAS to be up there. Come on!”

You dragged a weakly-protesting Atlas up the stairs of the passage and entered into what appeared to be a large sacrifice room. There was a summoning circle in the center and candles scattered all over. Deena was on the other side of the circle with who you assumed to be Hilda.

Before you could ask if Deena was alright, Hilda spoke up. “I’ve been expecting you. To what end do you enter my domain?”

You pulled out your trademark snark, hoping to throw her off. “Shouldn’t you already know that?”

She glared up at you, but didn’t say anything.

After a few moments of tense silence, Atlas spoke up. “We’re here to save Deena and talk to Master Ulzar’s spirit!”

“How about I just turn you into wisps and call it a day?” She hummed, tapping her chin. 

You looked over at Kitsunox and shrugged. “You wanna handle her, or should I send out the others?”

She looked at the Nexomon, seemingly not realizing it was there until that very moment. “A Nexomon battle? How gutsy. When you lose, I’ll make sure you wander this cursed town forever!”

“And when I win, I’ll make you summon Ulxar for us.” You rolled your wrist (and eyes). 

Hilda quizzed you as your Nexomon clashed. “Why do you want to speak with Ulzar?”

“Khan sent us. We’re investigating the Nexolord.”

“Oh? What are you investigating?”

“My parents are scientists working for him. They’ve been building some machine in the basement for the past three years. I get the feeling it’s not a new videogame console.”

She giggled as she sent out another Nexomon for Kitsunox to rip to shreds. “Such confidence in your voice. Are you sure you’re prepared for the answers you seek?”

You barked out a laugh. “Hilda, right? I stole my first Nexomon from the Nexolord himself, challenged him to a battle in three days for his title, and I’m going to finish the Nexopedia before that. I’ve beaten 3 other Overseers, and that was all this morning. If I was backing out, I would’ve done so already.”

Her eyes widened just a fraction and you knew you’d gotten her. She wasn’t all-seeing like she claimed, but she was still dangerous. Just… less so, now. 

Kitsunox knocked out her last Nexomon and retreated back to your side. 

“Tch…” She grimaced, fist clenched around her Nexotrap. “You may enter, Khan.” 

“What?” You whipped around, and sure enough, there was Khan.

“You done well. You worthy.” He nodded, clapping a hand on your shoulder before walking over to Hilda.

“What’s going on here?!” Atlas spun around, looking at everyone in the room.

Hilda’s face broke into a soft smile. “Master Khan has spent years searching for someone worthy of receiving Ulzar’s spirit. I was your test. At this rate, you may be able to match the Nexolord in combat…”

“Wait… you’re working against the Nexolord?” Atlas tilted his head, copying you from before.

“What do you think?” Hilda deadpanned, crossing her arms. 

You shrugged. “I mean, you did curse an entire town. It’s not unreasonable to think you’re evil, too.”

She eyes flashed dangerously. “Fools! My ‘curse’ is the only thing protecting this town! If the Nexolord’s plan succeeds, humanity will be in terrible danger. But my wisps are safe from all harm!”

“I’m gonna stop you right there. What do you mean by terrible danger?” You held your hand out in front of you in a ‘stop’ motion.

“Must speak to Ulzar. Ulzar reveal all!” Khan slammed his staff into the floorboards, startling everyone but Hilda. Apparently, it was something you got used to after spending enough time around him. 

Hilda opened her arms. “Shall we begin? Hey, you, I’m gonna need your help with the ritual. Deena, or whatever?” She looked over at Deena, who was still huddled on the floor.

“M-me?!” She asked. Khan was already standing in the circle, doing the dance you’d seen people in the Hidden Village perform.

“Girl dance with me! Summon Ulzar!” Khan shouted, scaring Deena into compliance.

“Just copy his moves.” Hilda breathed out, closing her eyes.

You glanced at Atlas, both silently hoping you weren’t about to be dragged into dancing as well. The room started to flash, just like it had when Khan teleported you here from the forest.

Suddenly, you were standing on a floating platform. A blonde man with a cape and a large scar on his face stood in front of you.

You stood up a little straighter, recognizing him as Ulzar. 

“Greetings.” He tipped his head towards you. Deena had somehow been transported as well, and was staring at the man. She looked star-struck.

“Ulzar, right?” You asked, just barely above a whisper. There was no wind in this place, so your voice carried clearly.

“Correct. I am glad you’ve found your way to this place. Fate has been kind to us both. But we don’t have time for small chat. I’ve been watching this world for centuries, protecting my legacy. Your current Nexolord has jeopardized it, and I see you’ve already faced some of his horrors.”

“Ventra?” Atlas asked. He was half-listening, wondering why he couldn’t transmit anything inside this place. He felt utterly alone. Normally, he would be sending data back and forth to Ellie’s home computer. 

Ulzar placed a hand on his chin and sighed. “Ventra and her siblings are but an omen. This world’s darkest day is yet to come. You have heard of my story already, yes?”

You and Deena nodded. “You saved the world from Omnicron after learning how to tame and wield Nexomon.”

“Hmm, almost. Nexomon had already been tamed by my generation. I created and befriended and unstoppable team, and we defeated each of the Seven Myths. But after I had Omnicron at my mercy, during our final battle… he revealed a final secret to me. The most terrible secret… it still haunts me in my afterlife.” He sighed, seeming to age hundreds of years right before your eyes. 

“What is it?” 

“All Nexomon… every single one… is inherently, unredeemably evil.”

You narrowed your eyes immediately and looked at Kitsunox. He was staring right back at you with the same disbelief. 

_ This dude’s nuts. _

“I can’t believe that.” You finally responded.

“It’s his master plan. Defeating him was meaningless. Nexomon had already swarmed the planet, and they grow more prolific by the day. When he returns, on the darkest day, that evil will awaken in every Nexomon in the world. All Nexomon will turn against their humans, and the King of Monsters will reign.”

“You’re wrong!” Deena yelled, tears welling up in her eyes. “Humans and Nexomon have lived together for centuries! They’re good!”

Ulzar ignored Deena. “You must stop Omnicron’s return, tamer. Only then will we be safe. But your enemy is powerful…”

“The Nexolord.” You responded, eyes beginning to glaze over. This place was beginning to give you the same feeling as one of your visions. 

Ulzar nodded. “He is perfecting his resurrection technology, and has already revived 4 of the 7 generals. If you do not stop him, he will resurrect Omnicron himself.”

“How do we stop him?” You put a hand on Deena’s shoulder, trying to share some of your determination with her.

“I know not. But I can tell you his next experiment is taking place in the desert. That is where I overpowered Grunda, the oldest child of Omnicron. His body lies deep beneath the surface. Defeat him in the desert and we may avoid this entire tragedy.” Ulzar looked up and over your head, as though at a giant invisible clock. “My time shortens. You must go, tamer. Continue my legacy, and remember… beware your Nexomon.”

You and Kitsunox held each others’ hands just a little bit tighter as you nodded. The world flashed again, and then you were back in Hilda’s mansion.

“Welcome back. How was it?” She smiled pleasantly.

You looked at Deena, then Atlas, and finally at Kitsunox. “I don’t think that was the real Ulzar.”

“WHAT?!” Khan yelled, immediately brandishing his staff.

You held up your hands. “Let me explain. Whoever this guy was, he said that all Nexomon are inherently evil and that the Nexolord is going to bring back Omnicron to make them all turn against their holders. I’m no expert in reverse psychology, but doesn’t that seem like something someone would say if they wanted to keep someone else from making their team stronger? I think… and just hear me out… I think that might have been Omnicron masquerading as Ulzar. If Nadine can take a human form, I’m sure Omnicron can fake one as well. I think he wants to keep me from building my team up so I’m too weak to face him.”

Hilda just dead-stared you. “No. I would know if I summoned Omnicron, idiot.”

You shrugged. “You say that, but I don’t believe Kitsunox is evil for even a second.”

“I don’t think my Nexomon are evil either, but I also didn’t fight Omnicron. And I trust Ulzar’s word way more than my feelings.” Hilda sniffed. You shrugged even more dramatically.

“...Anyways… we need to get to the desert to stop the Nexolord!” Atlas chimed in.

Hilda tapped her chin and nodded. “Of course… where Grunda is buried. The warp totems are too weak to send you that far without having already visited it, so you’ll need to cross the sea… Luckily, there is another incentive to doing so. I’ve located your friend, Ellie. The Nexolord hasn’t been able to capture her yet.”

“You’re amazing!” Atlas squealed excitedly, doing little doughnuts. 

Hilda pursed her lips. “I only know that because the Nexolord sent out another broadcast saying he was still looking for her. She was spotted last in Royalle City.”

“Ew.” You said reflexively, drawing everyone’s attention. “What? I’m from Parum! That place is full of city-slickers! Half of them have never seen a wild Nexomon in their lives!” You grumbled, arms crossed. 

“Oooooo-kay… moving on… Alfred can take you across the sea. I didn’t turn him into a wisp in case something like this happened. Once you defeat the Nexolord, then I will release my spell over the town.”

You turned to leave, but stopped as Hilda spoke again. 

“I have one final request. Deena, you should stay here. There is a dangerous battle approaching, and you don’t want to be caught up in it. That is all. Good luck, Y/N!” She waved as you said your goodbyes to Deena and headed out.

Once you were out of the maze once again, you pulled Kitsunox into a quick hug. “You’re not evil. I know it.” 

He hugged you back just as hard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitsunox would never betray you... right?


	7. Finger biting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you try to bite some fingers

Alfred took you over the sea easily, asking how your time with Hilda had gone. You relayed as much of the interaction as you could without divulging anything that could jeopardize your mission. After about an hour, you spotted shore.

“Sunny Palmaya! Royalle City’s just to the East.” Alfred announced. “If you need to make a quick escape back to the Phantom Citadel, I’ll be waiting here for you. Beats sitting around in a ghost town, HA!” He cackled, parking the boat at the port. You thanked him and hopped off, looking around for the easiest path to Royalle. 

You stopped at the back of a line to ask the stragglers for directions, but were immediately cut off. 

“Not cutting! Hendrick’s restaurant is right up ahead, and you’d BETTER have reservations!” A snooty woman huffed, then brusquely turned back around. 

You glare-smiled at her back for a moment before responding. “I was ACTUALLY going to ask you how to get to Royalle City, ma’am, but I think I’ll be leaving now.”

You heard her splutter something behind you, but you’d already hauled Atlas away.

Briefly, you realized you hadn’t seen the troops James had supposedly sent to the Phantom Citadel at all. You flashed Atlas the hand signal and waited.

“Hey Atlas, do you think the earpiece is back online yet?” You asked off-handedly, winking at him. 

You heard the sound of paper rustling for a moment. “Oh, you’re back! Are you out of the Citadel yet?”

“Yeah, we left a while ago. I didn’t see your guys at all.”

“Good, good… unfortunately, the package thief seems to be on the move again as well. They took a boat all the way to Palmaya.”

You worried your lip with your teeth, looking down at Atlas again. “Isn’t that kinda a good thing? Palmaya’s closer to you, right?”

“It’s closer, sure, but my package has been missing for over 2 hours now. I might have to find a replacement at this rate.”

“Is it time sensitive?”

“To a degree…”

“Let’s say you get a replacement. What are you gonna do with the thief? Let them just run off with your original package?”

A bark of laughter issued out of the earpiece, startling you for a moment.  _ Worth a shot… _

“Definitely not. I’ll hunt them down when I’m done with my project. I can’t have some random person running around with that kind of power.”

“Oh? Your package is powerful?”

“...Forget you heard that. Where did you escape to?”

“Ha-ha, still not telling you. When you explain why Ventra is working for you, maybe then I’ll divulge my location. Two can play this game, James.”

“I guess I’ll sit in suspense, then. I should’ve put a tracker on that earpiece… oh well, maybe next time.”

“Next time I’m stealing your entire team, not just a starter you happened to have on hand.”

“Oh, you WISH you could get close enough to steal my team. And SPEAKING of your team, Nadine told me something very interesting about your little battle.”

“Oh? What could’ve possibly caught VENTRA’s eye about little old me?” Your tone was joking, but your heart was threatening to beat right through your ribcage.

“You didn’t tell me you CAUGHT LUHAVA.”

“You didn’t ask if I caught it. You just asked how I got away. Also, I deem this conversation over. I need to keep moving and training, or I’ll never be ready for our fight.”

You ignored him resolutely from there on out, scouting Palmaya for anything that could point you towards Royalle city. As you walked, you recalled the vision you’d had in Ignitia. Clearly the Nexolord suspected you of having the Nexocore, but he hadn’t come out and said it yet. Why hadn’t he tried to stop you back at the Citadel?

You were so caught in your thoughts that you completely missed the group of bodybuilders blocking your path.

“Excuse me?” You asked, looking up. 

“Back off! Merida’s coming to Palmaya again, and I’m gonna get her autograph this time!”

“I can’t believe she’s finally coming back!”

“I’ve been waiting here every day since she left last time!” The boys all chattered excitedly. You didn’t particularly feel like dealing with them. Not when you were this close to finding Ellie. 

After thoroughly exploring the area Alfred dropped you in, you made it out to the docks. There was a man sitting on the edge with a fishing pole and grumbling.

“Sir? Everything alright?” You called out, holding a hand up in greeting. 

His head whipped around to look at you and he squinted, grumbling a bit more before answering. “Quiet, you’re scarin’ the fish! Or… ya would be, if there were any!” He smacked the end of his pole on the docks angrily and stood up. “Stupid lockdown, can’t get to any good fishin’ holes.”

“Lockdown? What lockdown?” You zoned in on him, immediately worried. You couldn’t afford to get trapped here, not now!

“You kids these days, you don’t know nothin’! It’s all Nexomon battle this, Nexomon battle that!” He ranted. You were going to correct him and say you were an adult, but that wasn’t important right now. “The damn NexoGuard shut down the east exit, and that’s where all the fish are!”

The man suddenly turned around and stalked off, leaving you pale-faced and afraid. 

“What did you say about a lockdown?” James finally asked, shaking you from your paralysis. 

You let out an angry huff and ran a hand over your face. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you trapped somewhere?”

“That’s generally the meaning of lockdown, Mr. Nexolord. Aren’t you supposed to be the know-it-all here?”

“Woah there, ease up on the sass!” He chuckled softly. “I was going to ask if you wanted me to come get you. I can teleport you out of any lockdown, easy.”

“Nope. I’m gonna get there on my own. I’m already a full day ahead of schedule, so if I get stuck here for the night it’s fine.” 

“You have been all over the place today… my Overseers are in a flurry trying to prepare in case you show up in their areas next.”

“Good, they should be.” You turned to look at Atlas and nodded. “Come on, let’s try to find that guy again and see if he has any more info. Either that, or we go check out the eastern exit ourselves.”

You continued down the docks until you found the old man again. “I’m sorry to bother you again sir, but could you tell me anything more about the lockdown?”

“Mm… Nexoguard’s got us locked up tight! Rumor has it there’s some dangerous folk hidin’ out in Palmaya. Siddown, fish for a while! I’ll tell ya what I’ve heard.”

-

You checked your watch for what felt like the hundredth time and realized it was almost 4pm now. You needed to get moving, and fast. “Thank you for the information, sir. Hopefully I can help clear things up with them so we can all move around freely again.”

“Good luck! And hey, keep the pole. It’s good to see the young people haven’t lost respect for the art of fishin’” The old man winked at you as you stood up to leave. 

“Oh, thank you! I’ll make good use of it.” You smiled, propping the rod on your shoulder. “I’ll let you know if things change with the NexoGuard!”

You made a beeline for the eastern exit with half a mind to just swim underneath the dock if you couldn’t get around whatever they were using to block it. 

James spoke into your ear again, and you flinched. “The NexoGuard have you on lockdown? Why in the world?” 

“Yes, the NexoGuard have put me specifically on lockdown. They decided I’m too powerful, cool, and sexy after I took down 3 of your Overseers and now they’re trying to figure out how to deal with me.” You rolled your eyes, skidding to a stop on the dock as you saw a huge crowd of officers ahead. “Excuse me! Can I get through here?”

“Sorry, but all of Palmaya is on complete lockdown until further notice. We will alert you when you’re all free to go, but until then please remain calm and do as we say.” One of the guards yelled back. You growled to yourself. Obviously it wouldn’t be that easy, but… 

“Alright, back to town I guess…” 

“Someone has to know something. Chin up!” Atlas gave you a weak thumbs up. You were both thinking about Ellie.

“My offer stands to get you out of there. If the NexoGuard is involved, something’s definitely fishy. You could be in danger.”

“More danger than your Champion trying to throw me off a tree?”

“...”

“That’s what I thought. I’ve handled myself fine up until now, and I’m not about to stop just because the NexoGuard showed up.”

As you ran back into the town, you saw the line for the restaurant had cleared up. Hendrick’s, or whatever it was called. 

“Have… have I eaten at all today?” You murmured to yourself, looking at Atlas. He shook his head and shrugged. Kitsunox placed a paw on your shoulder and gently (but forcefully) steered you into the restaurant. 

You both pulled a seat up at the bar, and when looked around to admire how crowded it was, you noticed Agent Bryce. 

“Huh, look at that. Atlas, that’s Bryce, isn’t it?” You asked, tilting your head in his direction.

Atlas was having a moment, spinning around on the barstool like there was no tomorrow. Kitsunox was glaring at everyone and everything, sitting backwards so he could watch everyone instead of being limited to the bar. He would’ve looked imposing if you hadn’t just watched him trying to bite water Nexomon out of the ocean while you talked with the old man. His fur still wasn’t dry.

“Hey! Bryce!” Atlas called out, waving as his stool slowly stopped spinning. Bryce looked up from his menu and grinned. 

“Hey, Y/N, Atlas! Fancy seeing you here. Enjoying the beach?”

“Not at all!” You replied cheerily, giving him a double thumbs up. “Why the hell does the NexoGuard have this place on lockdown?”

“Oh, uh…” Bryce immediately got quieter, glancing around before leaving his barstool for one right next to Atlas. “We… we think there may be a dangerous Overseer hiding here. Specifically, the Overseer in charge of recruiting for the Nexolord’s minions.

Suddenly, the menu was looking very appealing. Hopefully James hadn’t overheard that, but he likely would’ve been silent either way. “That’s… interesting. We’ll keep an eye out.”

“I’d thank you for the help, but this person has been extremely elusive so far. Honestly, they’re probably hiding in plain sight.” Bryce sighed, picking up his own menu.

The bartender finally walked over to you two, a warm smile on his face. “Welcome, friends! I’m Hendrick, and I’ll be at your service on this fine day.” 

“Oh, Hendrick! Like the owner of this restaurant?” You asked, looking up. 

He was positively beaming at all four of you. “Correct! I’m the head chef at this establishment, but tonight I’ll be taking care of the bar. Can I get anything started for you fine people? And… robot… and Nexomon.” He chuckled, slowly listing everyone off.

You’d been making serious dough fighting other trainers, and for some reason the Nexomon you fought always seemed to have spare change on them. 

Did Ron… sell to Nexomon?

“Chef’s pick. I haven’t eaten yet today, so I’ll put myself in your hands. And double it for Kitsunox, please.” You smirked, looking over at the fox. Nexomon didn’t technically need to eat, but with all the work he’d been putting in during battles, he more than deserved a treat. “Atlas, do you want anything?”

“I don’t need to eat! Ellie designed me to last years without needing a new battery or an oil change!” He smiled, taking the menu to read anyway.

“And for you, sir?” Hendrick turned to Bryce. 

“I’ll have whatever they are.” Bryce grinned at you.

“Excellent choices! I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” Hendrick flagged down one of the waitstaff and passed a note to them, then got to making your drinks. As he mixed, he struck up the conversation again. “I do hope you all catch that Overseer. Everyone’s going stir-crazy thanks to the lockdown.”

“We’ll do our best!” Bryce sighed into his hands. “Say, Hendrick, you’re pretty popular here.”

“That I am, though I don’t like to brag…” He chuckled.

“Have you seen anything suspicious? We don’t have many leads right now.” Seemingly from out of nowhere, Bryce produced a notepad and a pen.

Hendrick hummed to himself for a moment, putting a lime wedge onto the drinks before bringing them over. “Nothing too out of the ordinary, besides that blue-haired girl complaining the Nexolord is after her. I don’t think she’s the Overseer, but she could be in danger.”

Bryce nodded, looking up at Hendrick after taking a sip of his drink. You continued to listen intently, a pit starting to grow in the bottom of your stomach. 

“Hmm… there ARE reports of the Nexolord kidnapping people recently… she may be on the list.”

You got very very still all a sudden. Hendrick glanced at you and you quickly reached for your drink, taking a long sip. 

Seemingly satisfied, he turned back to Bryce. “She also claimed to be an avid volleyball player. I’d bet she’s down south on the courts right now.”

“Sounds like a lead!” Atlas grinned at both you and Bryce. Kitsunox was busy sniffing his drink and trying to lick the lime wedge. 

You nodded once. “We should go check it out once we’re done eating. I’m not too worried about time, considering the NexoGuard has such a strong presence here right now.”

Bryce rapped his knuckles on the bar, appearing contemplative before answering. “Normally I’d try to stop you, but you’ve built up somewhat of a reputation for yourself. 3 Overseers before lunch is quite a feat! However, I will be accompanying you.” 

“It’ll be nice to have some backup.” You nodded, taking another sip. One hour and one full stomach later, you set off out of the restaurant. After giving Atlas the signal once again, you stopped Bryce and dragged him away from the restaurant and the volleyball courts.

“W-where are we going? Hendrick said-”

“Hendrick’s the Overseer.”

“What?!”

“Hendrick’s the Overseer. Whoever he’s talking about, she’s not on the list.” You replied, finally releasing him and spinning around to look at the others.

“How do YOU know that? WE don’t even have that information!” Bryce huffed, eyebrows furrowed. 

You looked down at Atlas, surprised he hadn’t made the connection earlier. “After I beat Overseer Ira she revealed the list. It’s the whole reason we’re here right now. Dr. Oswald, Dr. Margo, Dr. Hubert, and our friend Ellie are the people on the list. Dr. Margo was in the Hidden Village, and she was already taken by the Champion of Wind.” You wanted to call her Ventra, but that would take way more explaining and you didn’t have the time nor patience for it. “And Ellie’s got green hair. So whoever this chick is, she’s probably just a diversion to buy Hendrick time to leave. I had to get us out of there so I could tell you, though. There were too many innocents and I didn’t want a panic.” 

Bryce looked very pale. “That’s… that’s quite a lot of information to take in. You’re sure?”

“I’m pretty fucking sure, Bryce.” You deadpanned. 

“W-well…” He started, “We still need to check out the girl he was talking about. There has to be a reason he singled her out as opposed to everyone else.”

“Fine, but we need to move quickly.” You sighed, flashing the hand signal again. 

The four of you ran back towards the courts, and what you saw there nearly made you throw the meal you’d just eaten right back up. 

Blue hair.

Kitsunox must’ve sensed your discomfort, because he quickly wrapped an arm around you to help keep you up. You nodded your thanks and kept going, eyes beginning to glaze over again.

That bastard, he was trying to reverse-psychology you! Make you think he didn’t suspect you, and then send another one of his lapdogs to come steal the Nexocore back. You bit back the urge to chew him out over the earpiece right then and there.

The three bodybuilders who’d been blocking the path before were all clustered around her begging for autographs. You wanted to scream at them to get back before it was too late. 

“Aww, you guys are so sweet! I’d love to sign autographs for all of you, but I need to practice for the volleyball championship!”

“Aww, you don’t need any practice!”

“Yeah, you’re already the world champion!”

“Anyone would have to be crazy to challenge Merida!” 

“Boys, boys!” She laughed. “You’re all too much! I promise, I’ll sign as many autographs as you want later, but right now I need to practice! I promised you, so promise me you’ll keep anyone from interrupting?”

She made puppy-dog eyes at them and you felt Kitsunox’s paw clench at the same time your hand did. You both wanted to attack her. 

“Excuse me men, please step aside. I’m with the NexoGuard, and we need to speak to Merida.” 

“What?!”

“What does Merida have to do with the Nexoguard?!”

“I don’t believe you!”

“Yeah, you’re just a crazy fan trying to sneak in!”

All the boys immediately circled up around the four of you and you growled low in your throat. “Kitsunox, clear a path. Bryce, think you can handle the stragglers?”

He nodded, and the battle began. You defeated the boys with ease, and honestly it reminded you a bit of fighting Ivan. Apparently Remus was the only person allowed to be strong AND have good Nexomon. Ah well, less work for you!

They all rushed for Merida, screaming that you and Bryce were ‘dangerous’ and members of the NexoGuard. 

“Boys, boys! Please! Settle down!” She cried. Immediately, they all went silent. You grit your teeth. “Please, speak! What does the NexoGuard want with little ol’ me?”

You looked over at Bryce, then sighed. “This is Special Agent Bryce, I’m Y/N. We overheard a rumor that the Nexolord’s after you.” 

_ Play dumb, play dumb! He’s listening!!! _

“Yes, we need to ask you to tell us everything you know.” Bryce finished for you. 

“Oh!” Immediately, tears sprang to the corners of her eyes. “It’s true! The Nexolord is after me.”

“Why is that, miss?” Bryce continued, taking more notes in his little book.

“It’s because… I know his secret weakness! I’m the only one who knows how to defeat him!”

Your eyes widened just a fraction and you had to truly restrain yourself from smiling. 

Gotcha!

“Please, tell us. This information is critical to the NexoGuard.” You prompted easily. 

“Are you working with the NexoGuard?!” Hissed James. You ignored him.

Merida balked at you. “I can’t just trust ANYONE with this secret!” You seemed to watch in slow-motion as her eyes turned predatory, and you got the feeling that Ventra wasn’t the only Champion with a secret. “But there is  _ one  _ way you can prove yourself to me…” 

Kitsunox started lashing his tail. 

“Lemme guess, a Nexomon battle?” Atlas groaned.

“Ew, no!” You recoiled just a bit, surprised. “Nexomon battles are barbaric! No… I challenge you to a volleyball match!” 

She pointed her finger directly at your chest. “Just me?”

“Well, I don’t have a partner, and I don’t think your buddy has the clothes for it.” She pouted. 

You glanced down at your nails and shrugged. “Alright.” 

“Yay! If you win, I tell you the secret. But if you lose, I want something valuable in return.”

Your head whipped up as you immediately realized what the trap was. 

“I want that shiny thing!”

Atlas gaped openly as she pointed at him. “Me?!”

“No, silly, that thing inside you! It’s practically glowing!!” She squealed.

“Oh, trust me, you don’t want that.” You inserted smoothly. “That thing’s more trouble than it’s worth.”

“What thing?! What thing??!?!?” The Nexolord hissed again. If you had to guess, he was probably hunched over a desk somewhere glaring at a screen. And on that screen, there was a single glowing dot representing the power signal given off by the Nexocore.

“It’s my only offer!”

You looked her up and down, rolled your shoulders, and sighed. “Deal. But let me go change first. I just got here from the Phantom Citadel, and it’s a bit chilly there.”

“Of course! Give them some privacy, alright?” She glared at everyone else and you rolled your eyes, walking behind a rock wall to change into the shorts and tee you’d brought along. 

You walked back out and handed your bag to Kitsunox. “You’ll have to forgive me, my skills are a little rusty.”

“Oh? Have you played before?”

“Yeah, but it was a while ago.”

“She’s the world champion! Y/N, you can’t do this! Back out now before it’s too late!” Atlas begged. 

You dug your heel into the sand and looked over your shoulder at him, giving a dangerous smile. “I’m a person of my word, Atlas. And Bryce, you might want to call the NexoGuard. Even if I lose, we should see about putting together a protective force for miss Merida. Y’know, to keep her safe.”

“O-of course!” He nodded, taking off. 

Once he was gone, you let the smile drop from your face.

“Merida, right?”

“Mmhmm, volleyball champion of the world!”

“Oh, Champion of something, I’m sure. Question for ya, what’s up with the surfboard and wetsuit? I’ve never seen a volleyball player outfitted like that for a match.”

She flushed bright pink and the boys that made up the crowd behind you started booing. “I-I just didn’t have time to change!”

“That’s fine, that’s fine, I didn’t mean to  _ embarrass  _ you.” You hissed out. Like flipping a switch, you then mimicked her happy-go-lucky energy from a moment before. “Come on, let’s play!”

She seemed very put off by all the sudden changes in energy. “A-alright. Don’t think I’ll go easy on you!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

She spun the ball on her finger before tossing it high. You easily popped the overhand serve back over the net. It was a little higher than you would’ve wanted it, but you were rusty, so it was understandable. 

She managed to pass it back and you took the opportunity to launch yourself at the net and spike it into the back corner. It hit the sand with a satisfying puff. 

“That’s one for me.”

“F-first to three! I was going easy on you! I didn’t think you’d actually be able to take my serve…” She grumbled, running back to fetch the ball. She rolled it under the net for you.

You took a few steps behind the serving line and deliberated for a moment. An overhand serve would be harder to return, assuming you were still good enough to make one over the net. Well… it’s not like you were going to actually hand over the Nexocore if you lost, just like she wasn’t going to tell you how to beat James. 

Overhand it is, then.

You tossed the ball into the air and slammed it with all your might. The ball whizzed over the net as you raced to the center of the court, prepared to run wherever she returned it to. 

But she didn’t return it.

She dove.

And she missed. 

You heard a strangled little noise come from the back of her throat as she jumped up. The crowd behind you had muttered when you scored your first point, but now they were openly booing you. 

“Lucky shot! Guess I’ll just have to show you what it really means to be the world champion of volleyball!” Her face was flushed red with rage, for all her attempts at staying pleasant and ditzy for her crowd. 

You stretched out your legs while you waited for her to bring the ball back. “I’m surprised I made the serve, frankly. I haven’t played in years now.”

The ball came at you with a little more force than necessary and stung your hands as you caught it. You walked back to the serve line. The ball spun nicely in your hands as you turned around. You were already one point away from winning… 

_ I wonder if I can still do a floater… _

You rolled the ball one last time, sent it up lightly, and…

The ball went slow and smooth, just barely tipping over the net. In a flash, Merida was up from and sending it back over. You had to dive to pop it back over the net. You passed it back and forth for a while, working up a sweat, until finally she slipped up. She’d just spiked the ball from the front-left corner of her court, and you’d jumped up to block it. The ball moved smoothly from your fingers, just over her head, and down to the back right.

It hit the sand.

You won.

You dropped to one knee and panted, surprised you’d been able to keep up. The crowd was silent for a moment, and then all hell broke loose. Screams of ‘fraud’ and ‘cheater’ were thrown at both you and Merida, and for a moment you almost felt bad for her. 

Almost. 

Eventually, the crowd cleared up. Kitsunox pulled you to your feet and you finally let out the laugh you’d been holding in the whole time. 

“I KNEW IT!”

“Knew what?” Atlas asked, helping Kitsunox pull off the backpack to hand it back to you.

“You two knew all along. Merida, Champion of Water, right? You don’t exactly strike me as a volleyball player.” You opened glared at each other.

“You knew?”

“Shut up James, you’ll get yours when I’m done here.”

“I told you to quit buddying around with this human!” Merida yelled, directing her voice at the earpiece. “Your asinine little crush is the one ruining all our plans! Minions!”

You let out another dark laugh as the grunts dove out of the water, shucking their masks and breathing tubes and getting into position. 

“This ends here, and NOW! I’ll wipe you off the face of the earth MYSELF if I have to!” 

Your eyes were milliseconds from turning into slits when a new voice sounded out. 

“Oi, Merida!”

Who…?

“Nyaaaagh!” Merida growled, turning towards the source. 

One flash of light later and the final champion from your vision made an appearance. “Hiya dear!” He waved to her before turning his attention to you. From the corner of your eye you could just barely make our Bryce and the rest of the NexoGuard rounding the corner. “And YOU must be the human that stole our Nexocore! You’ve really done it now-- What, Merida?” He huffed as she poked him. 

“You wanna take a look at what’s on their ear right now?”

The purple boy tilted his head and then scream-laughed, slapping a hand over his mouth. “NO WAY! NO WAY!!!!! IT’S YOU!!!! You’re the human!!!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m the one who stole the Nexomon, I’m the one who beat all those Overseers, I’m the one who faced Ventra, and I’m the one who’s going to kick your boss’ ass when I get to the Frozen Tundra.” You sneered. Vaguely, you registered the shock on Bryce’s face.

“What? Who cares about that! You’re James’ crush!!” The other Champion broke down into convulsive laughter as your face turned bright red.

You just barely heard James over the earpiece. “I’m going to kill him.”

“Not if I kill him first.” You whispered. 

Once he stopped laughing, he spoke again. “I’m Zetta, by the way! Champion of Lightning, at your service!” He dipped into a low bow and promptly broke into giggles again.

Merida was still positively FUMING next to him. “What are you even doing here?! GET LOST! I have the situation under control!”

Zetta snapped to attention and turned to her with a cheeky grin. “Wrong! We’re leaving, Merida.”

“What?! Why?!”

“Our little friend here told the NexoGuard on you, remember? I don’t know about you, but I’m not really up for fighting all of them at once. We’ve got bigger fish to fry!” 

“But the Nexoco-”

“We have a replacement! Come oooooon, quit wasting time! Big Boss Jamesy-boy wants us back at HQ!”

She shot one last glare your way. “Fine! Fine. I’m getting bored of this place anyway. Minions, disengage!”

“Aww, but Kitsunox hasn’t murdered anyone’s Nexomon in houuuuurs!” You taunted, trying to save SOME face. 

Merida just gave an indignant shriek as she teleported away. 

Zetta walked up to you and clapped a hand on your shoulder, leaning in to whisper right in your ear (the one WITHOUT the earpiece). “Yeah, she’s pretty bad at volleyball. Oh, and a word of advice, kay? You might wanna do what James tells you if you wanna get out of this mess alive.” He sprung back, a wide grin on his face. “Toodles!”

“Halt!” Bryce yelled, running up behind Zetta. He turned to look over his shoulder. “I’m Special Agent Bryce Forte of the NexoGuard, and you’re under arrest!”

“Bryce, don’t!” You yelled. “That’s the Champion of Lightning!”

But it was already too late. Zetta barked out a laugh, zipped behind Bryce, and shot a ball of pure lightning into his back. Kitsunox managed to pull you out of the blast zone, and Atlas was quick enough to jump back himself, but Bryce was just laying the crater. 

“Asshole!” You hissed, glaring at Zetta.

“Aww, you gonna do somethin’ ‘bout it cutie?” He teased, tilting your chin up with his finger. “Y’know, I can see why James likes you. Who knows? I might just have to take you for myself when all’s said and done! Your little friend, though, he needs to learn his place. When father awakens, you’ll all be kneeling before us!”

You snapped your head down in an attempt to bite the finger propping up your chin, but he was too quick.

“Ooh, feisty! You’re the whole package!”

“I’m gonna kick your ass.” You hissed.

His laughter rang through the beach as he teleported away.

Finally, the NexoGuard moved in. “We need to lift the lockdown immediately, this entire town is in danger!” One of the women yelled out, jumping into the crater to check out Bryce. 

“You should all clear out as well, it seems like they’ve got it out for you specifically.”

“No!” Bryce yelled. “You have to find the Overseer! Hendrick… take him out, stop him from recruiting more people!”

Your eyes had glazed over almost immediately after Zetta left. If someone had to describe you, they would’ve said you were completely empty inside. Emotionless, cold, calculating… ruthless.

“Don’t worry, Bryce. We won’t let you down.”

“Hendrick? The restaurateur?” 

You didn’t wait around for the NexoGuard to catch up, already flying over the sand with Kitsunox and Atlas in hot pursuit. 

“Twenty-four hours, James.”

“What?”

“Twenty. Four. Hours.”

You didn’t hear his reply, ripping the earpiece off and launching it as hard as you could into the ocean. 

“That bastard! He’s been playing me the entire time!” You hissed.

“What are you talking about?!” Atlas yelled, trying to keep his wheel from getting clogged so he didn’t fall behind. 

“He knew from the start we had the Nexocore, and he knows I’m the one who’s been interfering in all his plans! He’s been lulling me into a false sense of security by trying to make me think he actually cares about me!” 

You skidded to a stop, sending up a cloud of sand as you entered the bar area again. It was completely empty. “Dammit! He’s already got a head start.”

“Let’s check in back!” Atlas went skidding past you. “AH!”

Four henchmen were guarding the doors, and Atlas had nearly crashed into all of them. “Kitsunox, Felicient, take them out!”

You left those two to handle the grunts while you busted through into the kitchen. Upon finding it empty, you took the back doors. Outside was a lush forested area with a bridge over a small lake.

Your feet pounded on the boards as you sprinted for the giant stage on the other side, but before you could get halfway more grunts jumped out of the water. You growled in frustration and sent out Arctivore and Prismazor. “Get rid of them!”

You heard more feet behind you as you ran through the second wave, knowing that it was Kitsunox and Felicient coming to give backup. 

Your feet dug into the sand as you found yourself surrounded by minions. Hendrick was up on stage, still smiling that same smile he’d used as the bartender. 

“Welcome, friends!”

“Shut it, Hendrick. I’m not in the mood.” You hissed. The sounds of screaming behind you died down and then you were surrounded by your Nexomon. You let out Carnagrius for good measure, but kept Luhava as a hidden ace up your sleeve. 

“Oh, I’m sure you’re not. But! I think you might change your mind. You see, Y/N, I have a  _ very special _ offer for you.”

“I swear to Omnicron, if you offer me a position as a FUCKING GRUNT, I WILL RAM A COCKTAIL UMBRELLA SO FAR UP YOUR --”

“Woah, WOAH, calm down! You, a mere grunt? Please. We know talent when we see it! Your skill is worthy of an Overseer!” He held out a hand, ever-smiling.

Your chest was still heaving from screaming at him.

“Come now, it’s the best deal you’ll get! The more time you waste thinking about it, the more time WE have to find your friend Ellie.”

Something inside you finally shattered, and you stood up straight. You flashed Atlas the signal knowing full well the earpiece was already shorted out in the sand. Slowly. You approached the booth.

“That’s right, I knew you’d understand. After all, it’s best to be on the winning side. Omnicron’s return is written in stone!”

You clasped his hand, watching his face carefully for any hint of resistance. 

_ One… _

_ Two… _

You pulled back as hard as you could, calling on the strength you’d used to break that first grunt’s ribs this morning. You flipped him over your back and onto the sand.

“Minions! Attack!” He yelled, yanking down and dragging you into the sand with him. You scuffled with Hendrick as your Nexomon took on all the grunts at once. Hendrick managed to throw his own Nexomon into the fray as you traded blows. You felt more hands grabbing at you, and someone managed to get into your backpack.

“Hey! There’s a Golden Nexotrap in here!”

“DON’T--!” You screamed, knowing full well they would. 

There was a flash of bright light, and then Luhava was on the scene. It let out a terrifying screech and sent half the grunts scattering from that alone. The remainder were all paralyzed with fear. 

Hendrick’s Nexomon were all fainted in a pile along with a few grunts, and you stood up to dust yourself off. 

“I’ll be taking that back, now.” You held out your hand for the Golden Nexotrap and your backpack.

“W-where did you…?” Hendrick stuttered, pushing himself away from Luhava’s massive shadow.

You let the shadow fall over your eyes as you stared down Henrick, ignoring the gash on your cheek from where he’d punched you with a ring on. “Oh, him? Nowhere special. Send James my regards.” 

Without another word, you returned all your spare Nexomon to their traps. You, Kitsunox, and Atlas slowly made your way back out of the kitchen as the NexoGuard swarmed the area. 

Off to Royalle City. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was... eventful.  
> What are you going to do now?


	8. *Dinkleberg voice* Spencer...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet your mortal enemy: a rich 8-year old

[And now, a brief message from the Nexolord!]

The screech of static had James throwing the earpiece as far away as possible, just in time for Merida and Zetta to show up in his office.

“They destroyed it!”

Zetta looked as unapologetic as ever. “Why do you care? We got the Nexocore, Hendrick’s gonna take care of them--”

“Zetta, you fucking idiot, didn’t you read the list of scientists?! Ellie is their best friend and Atlas’ inventor! They’re not going to stop when she’s still out of our grasp!”

“What the hell is an Atlas?” Merida asked, flopping onto James’ desk. 

“The robot?! The little red one?!” He seethed, trying oh-so-hard to not shove his sweet sister onto the floor. 

“HA-HA, you remembered the name of their little robot friend? Aww, baby bro, you’ve got it baaaad~” Zetta teased, zipping over to pinch his cheeks and then making distance just as fast. James swatted at empty air and growled.

Merida sat up all of a sudden, startling both the boys. “Wait a minute, isn’t Hendrick in Palmaya? Your recruiter?”

“Yes, what about him?” James grumbled, rubbing his face where Zetta had pinched it. 

“You idiot, why have we been fighting them this entire time?!” Merida’s face flashed red as she grabbed James by his collar. “WE COULD’VE BEEN RECRUITING THEM THIS ENTIRE TIME! THEY’RE STRONGER THAN HALF OUR OVERSEERS!”

After Merida was done shaking James, he weakly responded, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Zetta snickered as James sent out another broadcast, elbowing Merida. “Aww, is someone mad they got beat at volleyball?”

Try as he might, Zetta was unable to speed away from Merida’s wrath.

-

As you were leaving Palmaya you passed Bryce, who didn’t look TOO much worse for wear. A little singed, and his hair was sticking up in places, but apparently Zetta hadn’t done enough for any serious damage. 

“I just heard the news! You took out Hendrick on your own, congratulations!”

You shrugged, gently wiping your hand over the cut on your cheek to get rid of the blood. “Someone’s gotta. Are you alright?”

“Just a little shocked, that’s all!” Bryce grinned, clearly proud of his joke. You couldn’t help but snort a little, pathetic as it was. “How about you? That’s a pretty nasty cut.”

“Yeah… I may have gotten into a fist-fight with Hendrick. He was wearing a ring.”

“...Did you win? You had to, right, he’s in our custody…”

“Oh, not by a long shot. His minions had me pinned. They just, uh… happened to let one of my Nexomon out that they really shouldn’t have. I may have egged them into doing so.” You snickered, remembering the terrified looks on their faces when Luhava came out. 

Bryce looked mildly alarmed for a moment, then let out a weak chuckle and scratched the back of his head. “Heh… yeah… Anyway! The NexoGuard is sending agents to Royalle to help you find your friend. I just hope we find her before the Nexolord does… And that reminds me, you said this friend of yours is a scientist?”

“She made Atlas for my birthday, so yes.”

“Would she know anything about the Nexolord’s resurrection machine?”

“Ellie? No. But I’m pretty sure I do.” You sighed, staring up at the sky. You didn’t want to explain this, but the NexoGuard would at least be able to protect your parents in your stead.

“Really?!” 

“Yeah. My parents built it. That things’ been shaking my house for three years. They never told me that’s what it was, but if you guys want more info on it they should still be at my house in Parum. It’s west of the city.” 

“We’ll do our best! Thanks for the help, Y/N!” Bryce waved as he headed to catch up with the rest of the NexoGuard. You threw a wave over your shoulder. Once he was out of sight, you let the smile drop from your face. You were furious. And then, you were off and running for Royalle.

Your team easily took down any tamers that tried to slow you down, and you managed to catch a few more Nexomon you’d been missing along the way. Right before you were going to enter the city, though, you stumbled upon a familiar face. 

“What’s taking so long? My baby may be in danger!” A woman with bright red hair sniffled.

And next to her, hands still on his crossbow, was the Bounty Hunter. 

You instinctively put your hands out in front of Kitsunox and Atlas to prevent them from getting any closer. Your face was red from running (or at least, that was your excuse).

“Patience, Miss Bella…”

“Patience?! It’s been TWO DAYS already!”

“And I’ve only just taken on your job.”

You narrowed your eyes just a fraction and made your move, stepping forward and getting the woman’s attention. “Excuse me Miss, did you say someone was in danger?”

The bounty hunter flinched and took a step back.

“Oh, do you know these fine people?” Miss Bella asked, looking between you and the bounty hunter for an answer. 

Before you could say anything, he stepped forward again. “Er, yes… of course. These are my… assistants.” 

You blinked a few times, surprised. 

“Marvelous! You’ll need all the help you can get. Thank you, dears!” She waved at you before heading further into the city. 

You spent an awkward few moments staring down the bounty hunter. Eventually, you and Atlas spoke at the same time.

“Assistants?”

“Hiya,  _ boss _ .” 

He growled, glaring all three of you down. “What the HELL are you doing here?”

“We could ask you the same thing.” Atlas quipped, folding his arms. You just side-eyed Kitsunox. Barely, just barely, you saw him nod. If it came to a fight, you weren’t going to be caught unawares.

“Well, I’m sure you figured out by now that the Nexolord fired me thanks to you, so I had to go find a new job. Lucky for me, someone kidnapped Miss Bella’s brat, and she’s the richest woman in the world.”

Atlas’s eyes started flashing at the mention of cash. “No, Atlas, we’re not going to break into her house and rob her.” You sighed.

“But we’ve done it to everyone eeelse!!!” Atlas whined. 

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “There’s a difference between taking someone’s spare Nexotrap and organizing a heist. COULD we do it? Yes, easily. ARE we going to? Eventually. But we have bigger problems right now.”

“You two are messed up.” The bounty hunter pointed at you and Atlas.

You paused. “You, uh… not gonna include Kitsunox in that?”

“He’s the only one not talkin’ ‘bout robbin’ Miss Bella.”

“Kitsunoooox… how many Nexomon have you murdered?”

Atlas clapped his hands together. “I have the stats on that actually! Kitsunox is approaching 1000 wild battles, with over 800 being defeats!”

Kitsunox huffed and held himself a little taller, beaming from the praise.

“Aww, my little murder machine!” You teased, scratching behind his ears. “We’re almost the same height, woah.”

“BACK on topic… you’re all gonna help me save that brat since you ruined my last payday.” You looked over at the bounty hunter, disinterested. 

“Fine, let’s get this over with. Any leads?”

“He’s trapped inside his house. Someone’s hacked the security system.”

You took a sharp inhale and looked over at Atlas, who was already busy gloating. “HA! We ARE going to break into the house!”

“Whoever hacked it is careful, and the place is locked up tight. I’ve been lookin’ all morning, and no luck.”

You hummed to yourself for a moment and nodded. “Alright, so that would probably be Ellie, but why would she take some kid hostage…?” 

“He ain’t just some kid, he’s the new Overseer. Appointed a few days ago.” 

You tipped your head back and hissed at the sky. “Goddammit I am so SICK of Overseers. Uugh. Fine, alright, here’s what we’re gonna do--”

“HEY, this is MY mission--”

“HERE’S WHAT WE’RE GOING TO DO: You’re gonna help us find Ellie, and once she’s safe she’ll disable the security system again. Capiche?” You asked, glaring right through the bounty hunter. His face was bright red and you could tell he wanted to just leave, but that would be another missed payday. 

He said some  _ colorful  _ things under his breath and then grumbled out, “Fine.”

“Glad that’s settled.” 

“We’ll start at the mansion. May as well show you what you’re up against. If it really is your friend, she’s quite the force to reckon with.” 

“Sounds good to me. I’m gonna stop at the healing center quick first, though.” 

“Fine by me. That team o’ yours might come in handy.”

As much as you would’ve liked to get around quickly, the universe seemed to have other plans. 

“Oh. My. Omnicron! Is that Y/N?!” Someone squealed. You whipped your head around, surprised.

“It is!”

“I heard they took down four Overseers this morning!”

“They’ve been all over the news!”

“I heard they stole from the Nexolord himself, AND got away with it!”

“I heard they’re secretly working for the Nexolord to weed out the bad Overseers!”

Suddenly you were swarmed by people asking how you’d managed to take down so many Overseers in one day, what you were doing in Royalle, if it was true that you were from Parum, and a million other questions.

Slowly, you leaned down to pick up Atlas.

“Who’s that?”

“Is that your pet?”

“Where do I get one??”

“Aww, what’s its name?”

You took a deep breath, reached around for your backpack, and took out a Nexotrap. Everyone ooh’d and aah’d, but Kitsunox knew what was coming. He wrapped an arm around your waist and braced himself as you tossed the trap into the sky.

A few people screamed, a few cheered, but most of them were just silent.

“Luhava, please fly us to the Healing Center.” 

It descended low enough for you to clamber up onto his back with Kitsunox and Atlas in tow, and then took off. 

The people inside the Healing Center were, understandably, silent as you walked in after putting Luhava back in its trap.

You just barely had enough time to get in, out, and then disappear down an alleyway before the crowd that had been swarming you before charged the center.

You pulled out the hat you’d brought for the desert, hoping it would be enough to hide your identity for a little while. 

-

“What took you so long?”

“Fuckin’ city slickers swarmed us, had to use Luhava to get away.” You grumbled, hat pulled over your eyes.

Kitsunox was now hidden safely inside his Nexotrap and Atlas was wearing one of your tees, tied off so it wouldn’t trip up his wheel or drag on the ground. 

The bounty hunter just grunted and jerked his head toward the gate. “This is the mansion. I woulda broke in myself, but Miss Bella was real adamant about me not breakin’ any windows.” 

“Everyone who thinks the Nexolord made this kid Overseer just to get at his mom’s money say I.” You said, putting your hand up.

“I!” Atlas responded, putting his own hand up.

“Thank you. Alright, so if we can’t break in, what then?” You dropped your arm back down. 

“There’s been a string a’ robberies, and I got a feelin’ the culprit’s workin’ with your friend.”

Atlas narrowed his eyes. “How do you figure that?”

“Mos’ likely they’re sharin’ a hideout. Not to mention yer friend could easily let the burglar in and out of the mansion if she’s got this much control over the system.”

You shrugged. “Yeah, that tracks.”

“Y/N! Ellie would never work with a criminal!” Atlas pouted.

You turned very, very slowly to look at him. “Atlas. I am Ellie’s best friend. I know you’ve only been alive for a few days tops, but Ellie and I have committed more petty thefts than you and I could dream of. I have NEVER bought my own clothes.”

Atlas’s screen went blank as he processed that information. “I… I guess it makes sense… but Ellie’s a good person!”

“Of course she is. But we’re from Parum, and there’s a reason Ivan’s the only rich person there. All the tamers leave the second they can, and any scientists get bought out by the Nexolord and shipped to the labs. The only reason my parents didn’t leave is because of me, and they’ve sunk all the money they’re being paid into their retirement funds and my college.”

“Sheesh, quit the pity party already.” The bounty hunter rolled his eyes. “We need to talk to Ron, he’s the latest victim.”

“You couldn’t have told us that when we were at the Healing Center? It’s right across the street.” You groaned. 

“I’ve got my reasonin’ and you’ve got yours. Let’s get a move on.” 

You made the trek back to Ron’s shop with minimal altercations. One person gave you a funny look as you were turning a corner, but didn’t make the connection. 

Finally, you found Ron sitting on the curb in front of his shop. “Hey Ron.”

“Oh, Y/N, I almost didn’t recognize you! I heard about what happened in Palmaya. That’s your fifth Overseer, is it not?”

You ticked them off on your fingers and finally nodded. “Yeah, not counting Khan. but that’s not important right now. We’re after the thief that robbed your store.”

If cats could blush, you’re sure Ron’s face would’ve been bright red. “When I get my paws on that little…” He hissed, then looked back up at you. “Alright, I’ll help. Do you have anything planned to trap him yet?”

“Nope.” You shook your head.

“We were just planning on getting some information from you, but if you already have a plan then by all means!” Atlas smiled. In the back of your head, you recalled their first interaction this morning and hoped Atlas wouldn’t demand a reward again.

“Of course! I’ll admit I was afraid to enact it all on my own, but now that you’re all here!” He clapped his hands together and rushed into the shop.

When he emerged, he was carrying a large sack over his shoulder. “Alright, to the Dragon Fountain!”

You looked at the bounty hunter for confirmation and he just shrugged. “Suit yourself.” 

You all followed Ron to the fountain, where he deposited the sack and opened it to reveal an impossible number of rare gems.

“Hey Rooon?” You hummed. 

“Hmm?”

“What the fuck, dude?”

“I am a very successful businessman. Now, let’s hide!”

“You’re just going to leave that out there?! There’s NO WAY someone’s dumb enough to fall for that.” 

“Hush, just watch!”

You crouched down behind the fountain, pulling out Kitsunox’s trap in preparation. 

“Put that away.” The bounty hunter whispered. You raised an eyebrow. “If you fight ‘em here, you won’t find your friend. Let ‘em take it back to their hidey-hole.”

The thief finally made his appearance as you were lowering Kitsunox back into your pack. 

“Willy?!” You hissed, fingers digging into the edge of the fountain. 

Of course it would be the idiot that stole Remus’ intercom, of course!

He looked around the area, and upon seeing no one grabbed the sack of diamonds. You hadn’t seen where he’d come from, but the bounty hunter was completely trained on him. 

Willy made quick work of opening the manhole cover to the sewers and scurrying down, leaving it just barely propped open for easy access. 

“After him! Bring back my gems!” Ron meowed, slapping his paws on the fountain. 

You nodded. “On it. Thanks Ron. Let’s get to it. You got the manhole?”

“Easy.” The bounty hunter lifted it and dropped it to the side, stepping out of the way so you could jump down with Atlas. 

You and the bounty hunter both pulled your shirts over your noses as the first wave of sewer-stench hit. “Disgusting. Let’s move quickly.”

Incredibly, you caught a few more Nexomon in that rancid place. 

“Where the hell did he go?” You hissed, sending a Trampole to storage. You’d evolve it later.

Atlas grabbed your hand, startling you. “Over there!”

There were flickering lights coming from an archway and you bapped the bounty hunter on the shoulder.

Inside the arch was a small room filled with blueprints, maps, and several computers.

“Oh, this is definitely an Ellie setup.” You grinned, looking around at the location of everything in the room. It was set up almost identically to her invention room back in Parum. Computers on the left, blueprints on the right, and various materials all put meticulously in their place. 

Atlas didn’t look quite as convinced. “She wouldn’t need all this just to hack into a security system, though.” 

“Sounds like you don’t know your friend quite as well as you claim.” The bounty hunter said, walking towards the next room. 

You stepped into the next room and had to stop yourself from squealing. “Ellie!”

“Y/N!!” 

You launched yourself into her waiting arms, giving her a tight hug. “I thought you were done for!”

“I can’t believe you beat five Overseers!!”

“Ellie!”

“Atlas!!” She grinned, hoisting the bot up into her lap. Everyone else was just standing awkwardly, eyeing up the bounty hunter. 

Eventually, Willy got tired of you and Ellie chattering and catching up. “Yeah yeah, my hideout, your hideout, make yourselves at home. Not like we’re on a time crunch or nothin’...”

“Shit, right!” You hopped back, waving at the bounty hunter. “This guy’s been helping us find you in exchange for releasing the little Overseer kid, but it seems like you’ve got bigger plans.”

“Yes, of course! I think you’ve met everyone here already.” Ellie spun around and listed off the assembled group. “This is the Alliance! Ivan, Remus, Willy, and the Warriors of Justice! Well, the yellow one at least. We’ve all teamed up to take down the Nexolord!”

“...I’m too old for this. Just let the kid out, he isn’t a threat.” The bounty hunter gave a parting wave and left. 

“Thank you! Sorry about beating you up that first time!” You yelled after him. 

“Alright, back to business! Now that you’re here, we can spring our plan into action!” Ellie clapped her hands together and giggled. “Oh, right, I forgot to ask, have you gotten any more information from the Nexolord over your earpiece?”

Your face flushed bright red and you IMMEDIATELY slapped a hand over Atlas’ speaker. Ellie raised an eyebrow.

“AHAHAHA, the THING is… I might have thrown it into the ocean in Palmaya in a fit of rage.”

“O-oh?” She stuttered.

“I may have found out that the Champions are actually the children of Omnicron, and something else I would rather not discuss!” 

Ellie narrowed her eyes at you. “Just because I cut contact when I went into hiding doesn’t mean Atlas didn’t record the conversation.”

“Yeah, I didn’t find it out from the earpiece.”

“For Omnicron’s sake Y/N, I am your BEST FRIEND. OUT WITH IT.” She crossed her arms and huffed.

Atlas saw an opening and took it, quickly wheeling out of range and LOUDLY proclaiming, “The Nexolord has a crush on Y/N!”

Your face went bright red and you grit your teeth. “That piece of SHIT was FAKING a crush because he wanted to lull me into a false sense of security so I would stop coming after him! He KNEW we had the Nexocore from the start and was trying to trick me into handing it over!”

Ellie blushed on your behalf before bursting out laughing. “Y/N, PLEASE tell my you’re joking. Please, I can’t--wait.” She sat up straight, eyes wide. “We could use this. IF it’s real, of course. I was going to just have us all steal the Overseer’s boat and sail to the desert so we could stop the Nexolord from reviving Grunda, but if we could get you close to him--”

“Aww, look what we have here! Rats plotting in the sewers, how quaint!”

Every head turned to the entrance. Upon not seeing anyone, you all looked down. An 8-year old in suspenders with perfectly coiffed blonde hair was sneering at you all. “Good day to you all, peasants!”

“Who invited the toddler?” Atlas asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“My NAME is Spencer! Overseer Spencer.” The child in question turned bright red and angry before falling back into an overconfident smirk. 

“Who wants to help me put this kid on a pipe? Bet he can’t climb down on his own.” You asked, turning back to everyone else.

Ellie looked pale, surprisingly. “Uh, this is a problem. I didn’t lift the security on the mansion.”

“How’d this brat get out?” Ivan growled, punching his hand. 

“Ha! You expected to cage the face of royalty? I have powerful allies as well, you know.”

“Royalty? I have literally never heard of you.” You narrowed your eyes at the kid. 

_ I wonder if he knows how to swim…  _

“I HAVE POWERFUL ALLIES AS WELL!” He stomped his foot on the ground, looking like he was seconds from a full-blown temper tantrum. “Isn’t that  _ right _ , Zetta?”

“HA! Nice burn, Y/N. Long time no see!” Zetta waved, appearing behind Ellie and grabbing the handles of her wheelchair.

Your face went neutral and you let out Kitsunox. “Hands off the wheelchair, or I will give Kitsunox permission to rip your face off.”

“Aww, is someone mad after their little breakup? Y’know, James is beside himself with worry since you turned down our little offer~”

“Luxa of the Lightning!” Remus growled, pulling out his own Nexotrap.

Abruptly, Zetta turned to him. “Ooh, I haven’t been called  _ that  _ in forever! Say it again, bear-boy!” 

Remus stared him down. “Let her go. You can’t take all five of us.” 

“Five! I can handle five just fine! Come now Remus, you’re the ex-Nexolord, you should know better than this!” Zetta laughed. In a flash, he was speeding between everyone. Five staticky ‘copies’ of him all laughed in unison.

“Show off.” You rolled your eyes, cracking your knuckles for show. 

“Only for you, babe!” The copy facing you blew a kiss.

You cracked your other hand and set your face back to neutral. “Shut up and fight me.”

For a moment, Zetta stopped moving to come to a rest right in front of you. “So THAT’S the face James kept talking about! He’s right, you do have a good poker face. I wonder what it would like like if I--!”

You punched.

Your fist met air. 

“I said shut up and fight me.”

“You almost hit me!” He cried, hiding behind Ellie once again. “That’s it, now I’m not going easy on you.”

“Y’know, I think it would be a lot more intimidating if I could actually see your eyebrows behind that visor.”

“Quit egging him on!” Ellie yelled.

“You should listen to your friend, Y/N.” He growled, speeding up again until there were five copies in front of everyone. 

Nexomon swarmed the tiny area, fighting tooth-and-nail for their tamers. “What, you’re not gonna show us your true form? Gonna let Ventra take that one?”

“HA! There’s not NEARLY enough room to contain my true form!”

One by one Nexomon started to fall. Eventually, Zetta ran out of traps. 

“W-what? What is this?!” He hissed. 

Remus took a step forward, calling his Nexomon back to their traps. “We’ve overpowered you, just like Ulzar all those years ago.”

“Shut it! Don’t you DARE say that name again!” He hissed.

You were holding Kitsunox back from just charging Zetta, afraid for Ellie’s safety. “Speaking of people who kicked your ass centuries ago… I’ve got a final question before I let Kitsunox pummel you. What’s this I hear about all Nexomon being ‘inherently evil’?” You asked, smirking. That would trip him up!

He didn’t speak for a moment, apparently confused. “They are? Duh? But how do YOU know that?”

Your smirk gave way to more confusion, and you looked at Kitsunox again. “I could’ve sworn that was Omnicron in disguise. There’s no way that was the real Ulzar!”

Zetta flinched, and in the next instant you were pinned to the wall. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE  _ ‘REAL’ _ ULZAR?”

Kitsunox froze, torn between saving you or saving Ellie. 

“Y/N!” Atlas and Ellie cried together. 

You stared down Zetta, trying to see his eyes through the vidor to figure out if he was fucking with you or not. “Quid pro quo. You answer my question, I answer yours. What happens to all the Nexomon when Omnicron returns?”

He deliberated for a moment, weighing whether he should reveal it or not. “Father will awaken the evil in every Nexomon’s heart and make then turn against the humans. Now, what do you mean by the ‘real’ Ulzar?” 

“I was given the opportunity to speak with Ulzar’s spirit to find out how to defeat James and Omnicron. I assumed it was your father trying to weaken my bonds with my Nexomon so I would be too weak to oppose him.”

He dropped you unceremoniously to the ground and ran his hands through his hair. “That… would’ve been smart. But he’s telling the truth. Before Father died, he revealed that secret to Ulzar to break his spirit.”

“Yeah, cause his real plan was to let Nexomon keep growing in population until they outnumbered humans, and then come back and overwhelm us at once.” You replied, rubbing your arms where he’d held you up. “Unfortunately, you keep being thwarted by someone who got their first Nexomon this morning.”

“Shut it! You wouldn’t have gotten half as far if James didn’t keep giving you special treatment! Nadine was right, he’s let this go on too far…” Zetta growled, turning away from you. “I would crush you all, but this sewer would collapse on top of me… ugh! Just stay out of this!” He pointed at you as you got up, still rubbing your arms. “And you!” He turned to point at Ellie. “I might not be able to take down your friend, but you’re coming with me!” 

“Kitsunox, now!” You yelled, but it was too late. Zetta zipped to her side in an instant, and then the room was filled with light as he teleported away.

“Bastard!” You yelled.

“That coward!” Remus growled out, punching his hand just like Ivan had.

Spencer was still standing there, smirking at everyone. You and Kitsunox turned your glares on him and he paled instantly. “Z-Zetta?”

No response. 

“ZETTA! YOU IDIOT!!! YOU FORGOT TO TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!”

“Hey Kitsunox, wanna--”

“Please, have mercy! We had no choice!” A woman’s voice rang out. You turned your head back to see Miss Bella rushing in. She pulled her son into her arms. 

“Lucky son of a bitch…” You muttered, walking over to Kitsunox. 

“The Nexolord threatened us and forced us to fund his machine! He made poor little Spency Overseer to raise more funds!”

“MOOOM! That’s supposed to be SECRET!” Spencer wailed, cowering behind her. 

“I don’t have TIME for this! Ellie’s gone, and that means he’s got everyone on his list! We need to move, NOW!” You yelled, heaving for the archway. 

Miss Bella stopped you. “You’re going to fight him?” 

“I’m going to kick the shit out of him, Ma’am.” You growled, low and dangerous.

“Ha! You? Defeat the Nexolord? You could barely match Zetta!” Spencer laughed. “You should’ve joined him like we did! Be on the winning side, period!”

You slowly turned your head, eyes glazing over like when you were having a vision. “Hey kid, I wanna ask you something. What do you think’s gonna happen when Omnicron’s kids tell him about their little human alliances? Do you think he’s going to honor those, after he’s done murdering everyone who’s not on his side? Do you think he’s going to take out everyone who opposes him, tip the scales  _ that far  _ in his favor, and just stop? Or do you think maybe, just maybe, he’s going to take out the leftovers once they’re too weak to pose even a tiny threat?”

That shut Spencer up for a while. 

Remus cleared his throat, dipping his head toward Miss Bella. “Miss, if you want even a slim chance at defeating the Nexolord and stopping this tragedy, you need to give us your ship.”

“My ship? Of course! I have complete faith in you! Well, in this one anyway.” She giggled, patting your shoulder. Briefly, you flashed back to when you’d almost bit Zetta’s finger for touching you. 

“Psh, you realize the desert is fully under his control, right? Not even the NexoGuard can get in there!” Spender laughed. You cut your glare back to him and he ‘eep’ed, hiding behind his mother again. 

“It’s our only choice.” Remus replied. 

“Of course. Please, follow me to my mansion. I can grant you permission and give you supplies for your journey. Come along, Spencer!”

“But mooooooom!” He whined. You rolled your eyes and waved Kitsunox forward.

“C’mon Atlas, let’s get going. Ellie needs us now more than ever.”

You walked to the mansion where Miss Bella promptly sent Spencer to his room. “I hope that boy grows up to be more like you one day.” She sighed, staring sadly at the door. “Oh well. Please, wait here while I get your supplies and alert the captain.” 

You dipped your head.

“Think you can handle this by yourself? We can go ahead to the ship and meet you there.” Ivan asked, clapping a hand on your shoulder. 

You chuckled softly. “Getting tired of the city too?”

“Maybe…” He turned ever-so-slightly pink.

“Go ahead. I’ll take care of it.” You waved everyone out. Miss Bella returned a few minutes later. 

“Oh, did your friends all leave?”

“I sent them ahead. I’m a fast walker.” You smiled, taking the proffered gifts. “Thank you, Miss Bella. Our team is in your debt.”

“Just beat the Nexolord and save us all, dear. That’s payment enough.” She smiled, waving you off as you left. 

As you headed towards the east of the city, you overheard a TV reporter on the street talking about an ongoing bank heist directly to the north. 

“Uuuugh, do have to do everything MYSELF?!” You groaned, walking up. The cameraman and the reporter both turned towards you, about to ask questions before they realized who you were. Suddenly, they were following you. Before they could get a question off, a member of the NexoGuard interrupted. 

“No civilians allowed while the scene is active! Please stay clear of the building!”

You rolled your head back and groaned, then took off your hat. “Sir, I’m working with Special Agent Bryce, I have to request you let me through.” 

The bluff worked, but not quite the way you wanted. “Oh! You’re Y/N! Of course you can come through, you defeated Overseer Hendrick!”

You nodded, putting the hat in your backpack. No use trying to hide, considering that was definitely a live broadcast. 

The other members of the NexoGuard gave you a brief of the situation, thanking you for the assistance. You discovered there were grunts inside along with a ringleader, and to be prepared for a fight.

“Ready Kitsunox?” You asked, tossing him a potion and an ether. He nodded. “Atlas?”

“Ready!”

The three of you entered. The front was empty, but the ringleader and two grunts were guarding the entrance to the vault. You could hear more people inside, no doubt working on transporting the cash.

“Is the Nexolord so broke that he has to resort to theft?” You asked, stretching your arms lazily. 

The ringleader dipped his glasses down his nose to get a better look at you. He paled for just a moment before breaking into a smirk. “Hey, if it isn’t the rat that’s been giving the Nexolord so much trouble! Heard about your little incident in the sewers. Don’t you have other things to be worried about right now?”

You laughed. “Oh, trust me. This won’t take long.”

“You should know I’ve got special Nexomon straight from the Nexolord himself. Still feeling confident?”

You looked over at Kitsunox, then back to the man. He looked Ignitian, wearing a tanktop with flame tattoos up his arms. “Yep. C’mon, show me what our dear Nexolord has provided his loyal soldiers.”

The Nexomon were all Rare or Mega Rare, so they were strong, but still no match for your team. Prismazor dealt the final blow, clubbing the ringleader’s final Nexomon with his tail and sending it to the ground. 

“I-impossible! Those were special!” 

“Yeah yeah, they’ve all got decent enough stats, but you really need to level them up. Not to mention I could’ve just whipped out Luhava.” You shrugged, turning to look through the glass doors. “Huh, the rest of the NexoGuard’s here. You might wanna skedaddle, if your darling employer gave you access to a teleporter.”

You didn’t bother waiting for a reply, walking out through the front doors as the NexoGuard all rushed in. There was a massive crowd outside all waiting to see the outcome and you realized you would have to get Luhava to carry you over them again.

Just before you climbed on, the bank employees you’d rescued ran out with a large box. “Please, take this! Thank you for saving us!” The bank teller said.

“...Is this legal?” You asked, eyebrow raised. 

“This is all from the Nexolord’s account. He’s terrorized us enough.” The other employee huffed, helping hold the box out.

You had to stop yourself from smiling too widely, but you finally accepted the box. “It’s no trouble. Anything to protect the innocent citizens. Hopefully this will all be over soon.”

You crawled up onto Luhava’s back and asked him to take off for Bella’s ship. 

As he soared over the forest just outside Royalle, you emptied the contents of the box into your wallet and backpack. It was a pretty hefty sum of money and a few Golden Nexotraps, all of which would come in handy on the off chance you ran into any more Legendary Nexomon. 

Before Luhava could get to the ship it made a quick drop to the ground, throwing you off and covering you with its wings as an explosion shook the area.

“What the hell was that?!” You hissed, arms wrapped around Atlas. 

Atlas pushed himself out of your arms and into a standing position. “Come on, we have to check it out!”

“Luhava, I’m putting you back in. If whoever that was saw you flying…”

The giant owl nodded and dipped his head low, allowing you to place the Nexotrap on his forehead and return him inside of it. 

You took off with Atlas for the source of the explosion, dropping to the ground mid-way as a second one ripped through the area. “You alright Atlas?”

“I can detect massive power from up ahead!”

“Greeeeat… Kitsunox?”

The fox was already up and growling, tail bristling. As you got back up and followed his line of sight, you understood why.

“Fucking Fenrir.” You groaned. And with him were the Warriors of Justice, strewn about the clearing. “Hey, do you mind doing that somewhere else?”

Fenrir looked up from the last standing warrior, flicking him aside with a column of fire like he was no more than a fly. “Finally, the heroes make their entrance. Get over here. If you wanna see your little friend again, that is.” 

You sighed loudly and trudged up to him. “What do you want, Fona?”

That seemed to startle him for a moment. He carefully masked the temporary panic with a sneer. “It seems all our human Overseers are incapable of handling a single tamer, so I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands. Let’s see what you’re made of, Y/N.” 

He slowly pulled out a Nexotrap and tossed it down. You looked from the Nexomon, to Fenrir, back to the Nexomon, and then back to Fenrir. “You’re kidding, right? How does a Nexomon fight help me find Ellie? Also, isn’t it kinda fucked up that  _ you’re  _ a Nexomon, and you’re using  _ other  _ Nexomon to battle?”

Kitsunox growled at the Tephragon Fenrir had sent out, but you held up a hand before he could attack. “No, no, let someone else have a turn. You can’t be a level hog.”

You sent out Prismazor, making Fenrir laugh. “A plant type? I would’ve thought you’d at least know type advantages by n--”

Prismazor one-shot the Tephragon and licked its eye boredly. 

“I know Prismazor and Luhava are at disadvantage, but you asked what I’m made of. If the members of my team that are weak to yours can do  _ that  _ much damage, imagine if I’d actually bothered to send out, say, Arctivore.” You smirked. 

“Lucky shot.” He growled, tossing out his next Nexomon. Prismazor and Carnagrius took out the rest of his team with ease and style. With each downed Nexomon, Fenrir seemed to go deeper and deeper into thought. 

“... How curious.” He murmured, putting his last Nexomon back.

“Curious that I kicked your team’s ass?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, curious that your Nexomon  _ slaves  _ weren’t affected by my aura. They should’ve begun to turn on you. I suppose I’ll just have to fight you myself.” He cracked his neck and grinned. “I haven’t had the chance to do this in quite a while. Are you ready to meet Omnicron’s third child? I am Fona of the Undying Flame!”

“If I were you, I would leave, Fona.”

Fenrir must’ve jumped back ten feet, easily, immediately blanching. “T-that voice!”

“We meet again, my old rival.” Ulzar materialized in front of you.

“Impossible! How are you here now?!”

“There are powers you and your Father have always refused to understand. You could not defeat me then, and you cannot defeat me now. BEGONE, FONA!”

Fenrir met your gaze with a glare. “We’ve told you to stay away at every turn. Your demise will be your own fault, Y/N.”

“Tell James I’m coming for him. His time is numbered.” You replied.

Fenrir disappeared in a flash of light, and then it was just you, Kitsunox, Atlas, Ulzar, and the Justice Knights. 

“Huh, can’t believe that worked.” Ulzar chuckled, walking to the spot where Fenrir had just been.

“What worked?” Atlas asked. You were busy checking up on the Justice Knights.

“I can’t actually fight like this. I’m still a ghost. But I have been watching your progress, and I can at the very least tell you I am not Omnicron in disguise.” Ulzar replied, sending a withering glare in your direction. 

You replied without looking up. “Sounds like something Omnicron in disguise would say. But!” You held up a finger. “I’m more inclined to believe you now, since you chased off Fenrir.”

“It’s of little important right now. You need to get to that ferry and stop the Nexolord in the desert before he awakens Grunda. He is the oldest child of Omnicron, and the strongest. Second only to Omnicron himself.”

“Oof, gimme a little encouragement at least.” You sighed, nudging the Blue Justice Knight. He let out a groan and popped up. Behind you, Ulzar disappeared. 

“Did you defeat Fenrir? We thought we could handle one of the Champions together, but…” 

“It’s complicated.” Atlas supplied as you helped Blue up.

“Yeah, just take care of your friends. I’ve got a boat to catch.” Once he was standing on his own you took off with Kitsunox again. 

Finally, you made it to the dock. Your watch read 5:30. The sun was just starting to set in Royalle. 

“Finally! The last peasant arrives. What took you so long?” Spencer sneered, arms crossed. 

“Hey Atlas, what percentage of pampered eight-year-olds know how to swim? Also, how far can a Kitsunox throw a child?”

“HUBERT! SAVE ME!!” He wailed, hiding behind the butler standing next to him. Atlas snickered while you just shrugged. “Y-you’re taking MY ship! You have to be nice to me!”

“The only thing I’m gonna do that could even  _ remotely  _ be seen as ‘nice to you’ is beating up Zetta. And it’s not because he ditched you in the sewer. That was hilarious.” 

Spencer huffed, crossed his arms, and sat down on the grass to mumble to himself. 

“Miss Bella has left you a parting gift. She wishes you all luck on your journey.” Hubert took out a Golden Nexotrap from his back pocket. 

You deposited it with the other empty Golds in your backpack. “Tell her we couldn’t have done this without her, and we hope to repay her generosity one day.”

“Certainly. Come, Master Spencer. Your mother is waiting back at the mansion.” Hubert held out his hand to the kid.

“You could make history coming with us to defeat the Nexolord, you know!” Atlas supplied. You almost punted him off the dock for it.

If I have to sit on a boat with this kid for the entire ride to Solus I will never be allowed to set foot in Royalle again. 

Spencer looked outright disgusted by the suggestion. “Ha! No. Go on your silly little mission, and just remember who provided you with that ship.”

“Of course! I would never forget Miss Bella’s generosity.” You sneered as Spencer’s butler led him off. 

The captain, who had been watching the entire ordeal from a distance, let out a weak cough as you approached. “You can laugh, he’s out of earshot by now.” 

He positively  _ roared  _ with laughter as he led you onto the boat. 

You talked strategy with the other members of the Alliance as you traveled, racing the sun to Solus. 

Eventually, you’d created your plan and separated to mentally prepare for landing. You and Atlas were at the head of the boat with all your Nexomon, explaining the plan and how dangerous it would be. 

Suddenly, the boat shook. 

Not “that was a rough wave” shook.

Not “the captain accidentally dropped the anchor” shook.

Closer to “we just hit a rock” shook.

You dropped your center of gravity immediately, crouched and ready to hang on if needed. 

A jet of water shot up directly in front of the boat, spraying you and your team with seawater. When you looked up again, Merida was standing in front of you.

“First of all, rude. Splashing me? That’s childish. Just because you lost at vo--”

“SHUT. UP. Your little plan to defeat James in the desert? We know about it.  _ I’m  _ here to sink your little ship!”

“It’s totally because I beat her at volleyball.” You nodded at Atlas.

She let out an angry shriek, drawing the attention of everyone else on deck. “I didn’t think I’d have to use my real form on a single human, but you! YOU! Ohoho, I’m not even gonna feel BAD about this!”

She dove off the side of the ship and you groaned. “Brace for impact! Arqua inbound! Everyone hang on!”

You quickly returned your spare Nexomon to their traps and grabbed Atlas, shoving him into your backpack to keep him from getting wet and shorting out. You wrapped yourself around the railing just in time to watch Merida’s shadow turn into something truly monstrous.

“Free from Ulzar’s chains, the fifth child of Omnicron is reborn! I AM ARQUA OF THE OCEANS!”

“You’re Merida! Of the shit at volleyball!” You yelled. “Kitsunox, take her out!”

“Everyone, help Y/N! We must work together!” Remus shouted, racing to the front of the ship and sending out his own team. 

“HA! You’re all WEAK!” She taunted, racing away from the boat. 

“She’s gonna ram us! Hang onto each other!” You yelled, thinking quickly and returning Kitsunox to his trap. 

Just before you could zip the pack closed, she hit.

The boat splintered into pieces and you went flying. Atlas clinged to the zipper, closing your backpack without him in it. Then, he was gone. For a brief moment while you soared, you wondered if this was the end. 

You held your breath.

You hit the surface. Hard. 

Gravity lost all meaning as you rolled through the water, praying you’d have enough oxygen to float back up.

Your lungs started to burn as you finally slowed down, beginning to float back up. You clawed at the water, breaking the surface and letting out a gasp. Arqua was nowhere to be found. In the distance, you could vaguely make out the Solus shore. Taking a few more deep breaths, you started the long process of swimming to shore. Try as you might, you couldn’t see anyone else over the waves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When you woke up this morning, you didn't think you'd be doing two-thirds of a triathalon, did you?


	9. Death Waits for No One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you make several discoveries

After several hours, you made it to the shore. It was around 6pm Solus time.

You laid on the sand for a while, catching your breath. 

“Luhava… Kitsunox… go get everyone else. Please.” You groaned, letting them out of their traps.

By 6:30, everyone was safely back on the shore. The captain was the most shell-shocked out of everyone, and you left him and Willy together to recoup while the rest surged ahead. 

The most devastating loss was Atlas, completely water-logged. You had no idea if he’d managed to turn himself off before hitting the water or if he’d been shorted out. 

“Before we head in, we need to disguise ourselves.” Remus said. His voice was a worn-out grumble from shouting for help. He’d dragged Willy through the water with him when the boat went down.

You coughed and opened up your pack, pulling out your spare clothes. You were, unfortunately, pretty well known by this point, so a simple wardrobe change likely wouldn’t help. 

“Here.” Remus dropped his fur cloak over your shoulders. “Can’t have our star fighter giving us away.”

“Thanks, Remus.” You smiled, pulling the head over your face. It would be un _ bear _ ably hot (pun intended), but it was better than getting caught. 

The instant you all went through the doors with your new mis-matched clothes you were immediately being shouted at by anyone and everyone. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Get back to work!”

“We’re almost into Grunda’s chamber!”

“The Nexolord wants us finished by nightfall!”

“We’ll finally be free!”

You all sped through easily, urged on by the workers. They were all too busy to question why you were wearing a full bearskin coat in the middle of the desert. 

You captured a few Nexomon along the way, still mindful of your goal to fill out the Nexopedia before taking out James. If you had every Nexomon possible, there would be no way for him to know what your team could be. Nevermind that it was already set in stone.

“Hey, you!” Someone yelled up ahead, making you flinch. You nearly threw out Kitsunox and blew your own cover as the man who’d called out came forward. “Your toaster’s dripping. Need a repairman?”

You blinked a few times, looking down at Atlas in your arms. True, he was dripping, but you were more offended by him being called a toaster. 

Ivan put a hand on your shoulder before you could speak. “Yes, we do, is there anyone around here who could fix it?”

“Sure, my buddy Alvin’s the best mechanic there is. C’mon, I’ll take you to ‘im. Then Overseer Jack won’t know I was slackin’ off, heh.” He grinned, turning towards a city that looked like it was in the process of crumbling to pieces. 

As you passed through, you noticed a very familiar cat tidying up around his shop. You caught each other’s eye and just barely nodded, acknowledging the danger of being caught.

Eventually, the miner brought you to the base of a crane. “Hey, Al! We got a drowned toaster for you to fix!”

“I don’t have time for a toaster.” Alvin yelled back down.

“Eh, tough break buddy. Guess you’ll have to come back later. Back to the mines for me!” He slung his pickaxe over his shoulder and trudged off. You waited for him to get far enough away before letting out a sharp whistle. 

“Hey! Alvin, right?”

“I said I don’t have time for a toaster, Overseer Jack’ll kill me if he finds me off the crane.”

“Why don’t you give it a little look from up there.” You suggested, holding up Atlas to the light.

A head appeared over the edge of the crane, squinting in the evening light. “That’s… not a toaster.”

“It most certainly isn’t.” 

You waited for Alvin to climb down, tucking Atlas back into Remus’ cloak. Alvin looked over the whole group, finally settling back on you. “Alright, I think I get what’s going on here. I’ll need my toolbox to repair your little bot, but it’s down in the mines. I can take one of you with me as my ‘assistant,’ but the rest gotta stay up here.”

You sighed, turning around to face everyone. Remus just put a hand on your shoulder and nodded. “Go ahead. We’ll hold down the fort.”

You pulled out your wallet and handed everyone a decent chunk of cash. “Go stock up at Ron’s. Not all at once, but we need to be ready for anything.”

“Can do, boss.” Ivan grinned.

Alvin looked surprised by the money, but didn’t say anything. “Alrighty then… let’s get going.”

You followed him to the mouth of the mine, more focused on Atlas’ body in your arms than anything else. So, when you heard his voice, you practically threw yourself and Alvin behind the nearest wall.

“Gentlemen!” James yelled. You peered over the edge, seeing him standing at the very front. “Today is the day you will finally see the product of all your efforts. Today, we awaken the unstoppable power of the almighty Grunda!”

He flashed the crowd a dazzling smile, but you could tell something was off. His hair was messy and there were bags under his eyes. It had only been a few hours since you’d ditched the earpiece, though…

Fenrir’s eyes suddenly flashed to your location and you ducked back down, heart racing. 

“What the hell is your deal?” Alvin hissed, pressed against the wall where you’d thrown him. 

You put a finger to your lips, straining to hear Fenrir. 

“Is something wrong, Fenrir?” James asked. 

He sighed. “Nothing. I’ll guard the mines, in case anyone gets a bright idea about stopping us.”

“Very well. Let’s proceed to your sibling’s chamber, then.” 

That was close. You breathed out slowly and waited until the sound of feet stopped.

“Alright, we’re good to go now.” 

“Nuh-uh, not until you explain what just happened there.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed. “Have you kept up with the news today at all?”

“I’ve been on that crane since sun-up. Caught a report about some rogue tamer who’d beat a bunch of Overseers on my lunch break, but that’s it.”

“That’s me.” You turned, lifting the hood ever-so-slightly to show more of your face. “And if you even think about reporting me--”

“Woah, woah, slow your roll. Anyone who opposes the Nexolord is among friends here. Just because this place is under his thumb doesn’t mean we like the guy. He destroyed our city to dig that mine out and hasn’t given us rest for weeks.”

A sigh of relief left your lips and you nodded, lowering the hood again. “Alright. I won’t ask any more of you than to fix Atlas and keep quiet, then.”

“I can do that.” He nodded. You two stood up and carefully made your way into the mine. 

Inside, hundreds of workers were slamming away at rocks with their picks. The entire area reeked of sweat and heat. 

“Everyone’s so busy trying to get into the chamber that they shouldn’t notice you. C’mon.” Alvin waved his hand, taking the lead deeper into the cave. “And watch out for the Nexomon, they get real hostile near the Chamber.”

You made a mental note of that, remembering Ulzar and Fenrir’s words. 

Almost everyone you passed made a complaint about James or Overseer Jack, and a few times you had to stop yourself from outright laughing at the jokes being made at their expense. Thankfully, you were able to move through the mine quickly and locate Alvin’s tools. Immediately, he set to work repairing Atlas. He’d already dried off most of the way from the sheer desert heat, and you were thrilled to find out he hadn’t short out. Somehow, mid-air, he must’ve been able to turn himself off.

“The damage is minimal, mostly just the water. It’s very well designed.” He mumbled to himself as he worked, taking each part out, wiping it down, and replacing it. 

“Looks like a few wires got knocked loose, but that’s nothin’...” 

Finally, Atlas’ display lit up yellow. He instinctively curled into a little ball before slowly unfolding and looking around. “We’re alive? Arqua didn’t kill us?”

“Shhh, yes, but you need to stay quiet.” You whispered, folding Remus’ cloak around him before the other workers could get too curious. “Thank you, Alvin.”

“No probl---!!!” He started to respond, but suddenly the entire chamber shook. Dust rained down from the ceiling and you shielded Atlas with your body. 

“What was that?!” Atlas whisper-yelled. 

Alvin looked nervous, glancing deeper into the mine. “They’re breaking into Grunda’s Chamber. You should leave while you can.” 

“Atlas, go get the others. I’m going in.” You ordered, standing up.

“There’s no time! I’m coming with you.” He shook his head, racing ahead before you could stop him. You groaned and took off, leaving Alvin behind with his tools. He shook his head, worry plain on his face. 

You finally caught up with Atlas, who’d frozen in his tracks and was staring up ahead. 

“Why are we stopping?” You panted, regretting wearing the giant fur.

Then, you heard a familiar voice. Or rather, a familiar cry. You straightened up and finally looked up ahead where Atlas was staring. Deena was sitting on the floor of the cave, crying, and Overseer Jack was yelling at her. 

“For the LAST time, get OUT of the digging site!”

“NO! This is my DREAM! I’m NOT leaving!” She wailed. 

You made a slow approach, nodding to the Overseer. “I’ll take care of her, sir. You should go up ahead with the Nexolord to make sure things go smoothly.”

“Finally, someone with some sense in here. Get that girl out of here!” He growled. As he was about to turn around, he stopped. “Wait, I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?”

“I’m Alvin’s assistant, I’m new. He sent me up to ask if you needed any help with the tech.” You replied, smoothly evading giving your name.

Overseer Jack mulled it over for a moment. Finally, he seemed to find your answer acceptable. “Tell him we’re fine. I’ll call him if I need him.” 

“Can do, sir.” You nodded, watching him leave. You waved Atlas up onto the platform where Deena was still crying.

“A-are you gonna try to kick me out too?” She sniffled.

You laughed softly, holding the hood up so the light hit your face. 

Deena gasped, eyes lighting up with glee. “Y/N!” She jumped up and buried you in a hug, bouncing up and down. “You came to rescue me!”

You giggled with her and nodded, slowly prying her off of your arms. “I didn’t even know you were down here. How’d you get over here anyway? You were at the Phantom Citadel last time I saw you!”

Before Deena could answer, the sound of feet approaching had you sweeping Atlas into your arms and hiding him inside the fur. You grabbed Deena and pulled her behind you, prepared for a fight. 

Remus, Ivan, and the Khan Healer came running down the hall wielding pickaxes. You slumped against Deena out of relief, setting Atlas back down.

“Over here!” You hissed, waving to them all. 

“We felt the ground shaking and came down to get you.” Ivan grinned.

You shook your head. “I’m glad you’re down here. The Nexolord and Fenrir are about to break into Grunda’s Chamber. It’s now or never, and I was about to fight him myself. Let’s go.” You started running, holding Deena’s hand to make sure she didn’t get lost. “If things get too hairy, I want you to run. Someone needs to tell the outside world what happened, alright?”

“Got it!” Deena nodded solemnly. You already knew there was no point in trying to make her leave before fighting Grunda, but you’d be damned if she got hurt on your watch. “Why is Omnicron only trying to resurrect five of the seven generals, though? Didn’t you all say he was going to resurrect Grunda and then Omnicron?”

“Ulzar’s journey wasn’t well documented. No one knows where the other two are buried.”

You made a sniffing noise, annoyed. You’d have to ask Ulzar about it whenever he decided to appear next. 

Provided you didn’t die, of course.

You led the charge toward Grunda’s Chambers, ignoring the miners crying for you all to turn back. The closer you got, the more urgent their pleas were. Some yelled that their Nexomon had turned against them as they got closer, but you couldn’t afford to stop and regroup now. If Kitsunox tried to kill you, so be it.

Fenrir stood guard in front of the Chamber and you wondered, bleakly, if one of you would have enough time to run past him while he tried to shoot fire at the others. 

That plan, unfortunately, was shut down as you all came to a stop in front of him. You were sweating now, and the fur coat was threatening to suffocate you. You shucked it and handed it back to Remus, raising your head to glare at Fenrir as your face was revealed once more. 

He seemed to pale, if just a bit. “You’re alive?”

“Surprised? Tell Merida she sucks at volleyball AND sinking ships.” You bared your teeth at him in a cocky smile. You’d noticed that all the Champions were thrown off by your false confidence, and you needed them off their game as much as possible right now. 

He growled and looked over his shoulder at the chamber. “You know, if you’d just listened to James from the start, I would’ve never had to send my little sister after you. You could still be in that little backwater town of yours, blissfully unaware of everything going on.”

You paused at that, giving him an incredulous look. “Do… do you know who my parents are? Blissfully unaware???”

Fenrir looked confused.

You pursed your lips. “Holy fuck,  _ dude _ , my parents built the fucking resurrection machine. Are you?? Stupid??? That hunk of junk has been shaking my house for three years. I haven’t been blissfully-anything for a LONG time now.”

You and Fenrir stared at each other for a moment as he processed that little tidbit of information. Luckily, before he could say anything, Ivan stepped in.

“That’s all great and all, glad we could have this talk, but I want my rematch, fire-boy!” He put his fists together and growled. 

“I don’t know who you are.” Fenrir replied, then turned back to you. “Are you yelling me you’re the same person James has been complaining about for three years? The one with the dead stare?”

You blinked a few times and took a  _ very  _ deep breath to calm yourself. “Come again? Are YOU telling ME James has been talking about me for THREE YEARS?” You yelled the last part, startling your companions. None of them seemed to know what to do about the situation. 

“Show me.”

“What?!”

“Show me the face. I need to know.”

You barked out a laugh and pinched the bridge of your nose. “I’m going to beat the hell out of all of you, I swear.” 

You took one more deep breath and schooled your face, looking up at him. “This is the result of three years of not being able to fight the Nexolord. I practiced day and night the first time he came over, because I knew if I didn’t I would say something or glare at him and make my parents lose their job.”

Fenrir started to laugh.  _ Really  _ laugh. “Oh, no, this is too good! I had to listen to James SCREAMING about how the scientists’ kid just wouldn’t react to anything! He was FURIOUS he couldn’t get you to show some emotion! One time, one time he came back after a check up, and he was in a good mood, and we couldn’t figure out why! And he tells us he saw YOU laughing with a friend outside!”

You’d had enough of listening to Fenrir laugh at your expense. You tossed Kitsunox onto the floor, half-forgetting there was a good chance he would turn on you from proximity to Grunda’s Chamber. 

That seemed to shut Fenrir up. He eyed the fox warily, waiting just as much as you to see what he would do. Kitsunox let out a low growl in his direction.

Fenrir cleared his throat and a scowl returned to his face. “I see your Nexomon are still displaying…  _ unique  _ rebellious streaks.” 

“You kinda bond pretty quick when you’re saving each other from certain death all the time.” You replied evenly, face still neutralled. 

“I’ll make a deal with you.” Fenrir started. “If you can defeat me again, and only you, I will allow your little group into the Chamber.”

“Deal.” You replied, before anyone could stop you. Ivan spluttered something, but Remus put a hand on his shoulder and nodded. 

“I’ve been watching Y/N’s progress. They can defeat him.”

“Kitsunox?” You asked. His right ear swiveled to listen to you. “Don’t hold back.”

Once again, the battle was completely lopsided in your favor.

“That’s not possible. You couldn’t have gotten that much stronger since I fought you the first time.” He growled, small flames seeming to dance in his eyes. 

“And yet, I did.” You replied. The entire battle, you’d kept your face frozen in an impassive mask. It was for the best, as the Nexolord was just on the other side of the passage. You didn’t know what was going to happen when you saw him, but at least you could control this. 

Now, it was Fenrir’s turn to take a deep breath. “I think I liked you more when you were being cocky.”

“I think I liked you more when you weren’t trying to kill all of humanity.” You deadpanned, watching his face flare up again. You almost wanted to laugh. Almost.

Fenrir chose to respond by simply teleporting away, leaving the passage open. Before you could advance, another voice rang out. 

“Fenrir? Are you out there? What was all that noise?” The voice got closer and closer until you could make out Overseer Jack. His eyes narrowed at your group. “Who the hell are you? Where’s Fenrir?”

You cracked your knuckles. “Out of commission. Let us through.”

“It’s been a while, Jack.” Remus grumbled. Jack startled as he recognized him. 

“Remus!”

“We’re here to stop Grunda’s resurrection. Do as Y/N says and let us through. You can’t take on all of us.”

Jack started to get nervous. “You idiots have _ no idea _ what’s going to happen in here! Get out, while you still can!”

Your face went ghost-white, but your mask didn’t crack. Jack mistook the change for success until a hand was laid on his shoulder.

“Jack, please escort the rest of our guests inside. I want a word with Y/N.”

Kitsunox snarled at James, stepping protectively in front of him.

“I don’t think I want a word with you, after you had Merida try to kill us all.” You replied evenly, grabbing Deena and Kitsunox’s hands. They linked hands with the Remus and Ivan, creating a wall. The Khan Healer had stayed behind in the camp, knowing she wouldn’t be able to help in the midst of a battle.

You seemed to catch James by surprise. “What? I never sent Merida after you.”

“Fenrir seemed awfully surprised to see me alive. Perhaps you should ask your Champions what they’ve been up to.”

“Fenrir… that son of a bitch!” James turned bright red, then forcefully calmed himself down. “No, no, I’ll deal with him later. You and I need to talk. Now. Either you can come with me willingly, or I will teleport you.” 

“Don’t do it Y/N, it has to be a trap.” Deena said from behind you, squeezing your hand for reassurance. 

“Kitsunox comes with and stays out.” You challenged. James hadn’t broken eye contact with you since he entered, save for glaring at a wall when you mentioned Fenrir and Merida’s scheme to get you killed. 

“Deal. Jack, the others.”

“No!” Deena yelled, throwing herself between you and James.

“Deena. Look at me.” You ordered, putting a hand on her shoulder. She turned around slowly, tears in her eyes. “You know I can handle myself. The second anything happens, I’ll have all my Nexomon out and ready. Trust me.”

She sniffled for a minute, pulling you in for a quick hug before turning to glare at James as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “If you do ANYTHING to them, I will personally hunt you to the ends of the earth.”

James rolled his eyes. “I have no intention of harming them, for what it’s worth.”

“That’s rich.” You quipped. Finally, they all started to move into Grunda’s Chamber, leaving you and the Nexolord.

He sat down on the steps, looking up at you silently. “I’m guessing you won’t agree to sit down like a reasonable person?”

You shrugged noncommittally. “I’m guessing you won’t agree to not kill all of humanity like a reasonable person?”

“I am not going to--”

“When you revive Omnicron, do you actually think he’ll let any humans survive? He’ll kill all the people that oppose him first, sure, and lull the rest into a false sense of security, but once those of us that are actually putting up a fight are gone, he’s just going to wipe out the rest. They’ll be too few and too weak to stand a chance.”

“Not true.”

“I’m right and you know it.”

“If you would just join me--” James started to stand up.

You scoffed. “And what? I’ll be the first one dead! I’ve been fighting your plans at every turn!”

“You don’t know that, Y/N, I can--”

“I  _ do  _ know that. Would you like to know  _ why  _ I know that,  _ James _ ?” You hissed his name out like it was poison. “I thought it was a dream, honestly. There aren’t even any pictures of Omnicron, but with the way today’s been going, I’m almost positive now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Overseer Hilda and Overseer Khan are connected to the spirit world. They can see things no one else can. Didn’t you find it strange that I got so quiet in Palmaya, right when Merida showed up?” You waited, watching his face for a reaction. Apparently he’d picked up a thing or two from being around you so long, because he’d put up his own mask. “I saw you. In that lab. Talking to Malk.”

The mask cracked, but it didn’t quite shatter. “How do you know that name?”

It wasn’t a question. It was a command.

“At Ira’s concert in Ignitia, I blacked out and found myself watching you and your Champions discussing your plans with a scientist named Malk. You all said some pretty interesting things, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now. I’m talking about Omnicron, and how I’ll be the first one to die when he comes back.”

You took a breath, preparing yourself. When this was over, you’d have to face some terrifying truths.

“This morning I had the strangest dream. A giant blue wolf Nexomon and I were battling each other on top of a broken pillar, and I was losing. I got to watch myself die. Either this was a warning, or a prophecy. When you revive Omnicron, I will be the one to face him. And I will die doing it.” You said with finality. “And I would love to say there’s a way out of this for me, but when I stopped my mom from burning her hand when I was five I got a wicked headache. If that’s the tradeoff for changing the future so minorly, anything I do from here on out ends with my death.”

“Y-you don’t know that.” He said, standing up. “You can’t know that for sure, there has to be a way out.”

“My only decision now is whether I die a failure and allow Omnicron to destroy humanity, or whether I stop you right now and die as punishment for tampering with the universe.”

“Stop saying that! You’re not going to die, I can reason with him--”

You walked up to him and put a hand over his mouth. “Shut up, James. Your suicide mission ends here.”

His breath was hot against your palm and as you stared at him, you noticed the beginnings of tears pricking the corners of his eyes. You took a breath out and shook your head. 

“Just what I thought. Come on, then.” You turned and started walking into Grunda’s Chamber. “Let’s see what path the universe chooses.”

You walked in with Kitsunox and the Nexolord trailing behind. Deena was the first to spot you, and she jumped up from where she’d been leaning against the wall, fists raised.

“I’m fine, Deena.” You put a hand up. She glared at the Nexolord anyways, at least until she noticed his eyes were slightly red.

“Did you make him cry?”

“He brought it upon himself.” In an instant you were surrounded by your friends again. “I’m guessing you couldn’t convince Overseer Jack to join our cause while you were talking.”

“He’s stubborn.” Remus said, glancing over at Jack. 

“Overseer Jack.” James finally spoke up, clearing his throat at the end. “Please, proceed with the resurrection. Our dear friend deserves to see their parent’s hard work in action.”

Jack didn’t move, sweat beading on his forehead and dripping down. You’d assumed it was from the heat, but something seemed… off.

“Overseer Jack.” James repeated, getting annoyed. If you focused, you could see his hands shaking behind his crossed arms. 

Jack threw one last look your way before responding. “It won’t work. I’ve sabotaged it. When I pull that lever, this entire chamber is going to explode. We’ll all be crushed by rubble.”

You couldn’t help yourself. You’d stayed stoic for so long, but that was just. Too funny. You barked out a laugh, tried to catch yourself, and then started laughing again.

The Nexolord looked like he was about to start crying for real this time. Everyone else just looked concerned. 

“I can’t believe it! Unforeseen paths! Oh, man, I told you I was gonna die! I told you!” You gloated, morbid as it was. 

“You are NOT going to die, dammit!” James hissed, turning to glare at you as you continued to laugh. Tears were starting to come out of your eyes, and you didn’t know if it was from the laughter or the fear. The sight of that must’ve been what triggered him, because in the next instant he’d sent a bolt of white lightning at Overseer Jack and was rushing to the machine, opening it up and tearing at the wires. “I will fix this damn thing myself if I have to, you are NOT dying!”

That snapped you out of it and you rushed to the Overseer. He was passed out, but still breathing.

You started to hyperventilate, too many thoughts rushing together all at once. Everyone else crowded around Jack, trying to make sure he was ok. You staggered back and out of the circle, slumping against the wall as your body started to shake. 

The machine roared to life and shot out a beam, engulfing Grunda’s corpse. You needed to snap out of it, and fast, or everyone else would die. You might be prophesied, but everyone else had a chance. You covered your eyes as the chamber burned bright white.

When you finally staggered to your feet after the world stopped shaking, Kitsunox was standing in front of you. 

“Thank you…” You whispered. Grunda stood in front of you, massive and heaving. Kitsunox was shaking just as badly as you were, and you looped his arm over your shoulders as you carried yourselves back to the others. They’d all formed a protective circle around Overseer Jack. James was standing at the edge of the massive hole, still recovering from the blast. You grit your teeth.

_ Bastard _ .

Finally, he stood up again. “Grunda.”

The massive beast swung its head around, one red eye narrowing as it appraised the tiny human ( _ not human _ , something whispered in the back of your mind) talking to it.

“You know who I am, do you not?”

“...I do.” The voice that responded sounded like stones clashing together, powerful and ancient and downright terrifying. 

James tried to meet your eyes, but you looked away. You couldn’t face him. Not now. 

“You’ll be pleased to know Father Omnicron is next on my list. I have a small request first, though. I need you to…  _ pacify  _ these humans. Do not kill them. Contact me when it’s done. You know how.”

Your chest was starting to burn as you tried to breathe, desperately fighting the urge to launch yourself at James and throw both of you into the pit. It would be a quick death. Or so, you hoped. 

James disappeared in a flash of light.

“Everyone up! He should still be weak from resurrection! Now or never!” You yelled, taking command. Two flashes of light appeared behind you and you nearly died on the spot, thinking the other Champions had shown up to well and truly end this. Instead, you found Hilda and Khan.

“We’re here to help!” Hilda supplied, smiling as pleasantly as ever. Khan nodded beside her. 

“Work together. Only way to defeat Grunda!”

The beast in question finally locked its gaze on your party and let out a growl that shook the mine. “Free from Ulzar’s chains… the first son of Omnicron is reborn… I am Grunda… OF THE EARTH!” 

Its shriek reverberated through your skull, but you were too far gone now. Any emotions you’d had before had been squashed down in the face of certain death. 

You were going to give this battle your all or die trying.

Thirty Nexomon appeared around the tamers present while Deena and Atlas prepared themselves with revives in the back. 

Grunda, although massive, was incredibly weak compared to his siblings. You had assumed he would be brought back at full power, but with every attack he seemed to grow weaker and weaker.

“Push! Don’t get cocky!” You yelled as he let out a roar and swiped at the group of Nexomon closest to the edge. More than a few of you had to make quick returns as your Nexomon started to slip over the edge. Luhava was carrying most of the fight, being both a legendary and at type advantage. 

With a final, shrieking cry Grunda began to decay right before your eyes. “FINISH IT LUHAVA!” You shrieked, returning all your other Nexomon. “Get ready to run! This place is going to collapse without him holding it up!”

Everyone else took their cue, bolting for the door. Atlas and Deena waved them all through, holding out until the very end for you to return Luhava and sprint. As you made your escape, you noted thankfully that all the other miners had apparently cleared out. Mere moments after you cleared the entrance, the entire mine caved in. Dust sprayed up from the massive hole, showering everyone with sharp pebbles. You felt small cuts forming on your arms, legs, and face as you continued to run away. 

Everyone finally stopped running inside the Healing Center, collapsing against the walls and coughing the dust out of their lungs. The place was packed with people sheltering from the collapse, and you had to fight your way to the counter to actually get your Nexomon healed. 

“What now? He’s going to revive Omnicron next!” Deena complained, head in her arms as she leaned against the counter. 

“Y/N will go ahead to the Frozen Tundra. They have the strongest Nexomon, with Luhava on their team.” Hilda replied. You had to bite back a quip that Kitsunox was actually the strongest on the team and could kick Luhava’s ass in a second.

“Only Y/N?! Deena exclaimed. “What about the rest of you???”

“We will gather all our allies. Y/N only needs to stall long enough for us to get there, and they’ve shown they’re the best for the job.” Remus replied. You nodded your acquiescence.

“I’m going with you!” Deena latched onto your arm and you just nodded again, too drained to fight her.

Luckily, Atlas picked up your slack. “You just saw how we barely destroyed Grunda, and now you want to come with to fight Omnicron?!”

“I won’t abandon you guys! You took down Grunda, and I know you can defeat Omnicron!” She pouted, latching on tighter. You were busy staring at Kitsunox’s trap, wondering why you hadn’t figured it out earlier.

Hilda, Remus, and Khan shared a look, noticing your changed demeanor. “Come on, let’s get outside. We all need to get moving.” Remus said, gently guiding you through the crowd inside the Healing Center. 

When you were finally in a more secluded area on the far east of the town, they all stopped. 

“Alright, Y/N, you’ve been acting weird since that talk with the Nexolord. What’s up?” Ivan asked. Everyone else looked at him, surprised he’d picked up on your moodswing as well. 

You fidgeted with Kitsunox’s trap for a few moments, buying yourself time to get your thoughts in order. 

“I saw my death this morning.” You replied. “I’m going to die fighting Omnicron.”

“What do you mean? We can still stop him!” Atlas yelled, alarmed at how somber you sounded. 

You glanced down at him and shrugged. “I dreamed this morning that I was lying dead at Omnicron’s feet on a pillar hundreds of feet in the air. I’ll fight Omnicron at the top of the Nexolord’s Tower, and I’ll lose.”

Hilda and Khan seemed deep in thought. 

“Please, explain more.” She prompted, scrutinizing you.

You shifted your gaze to her and finally decided to come clean. “I believe the Nexolord is one of the generals himself. Grunda recognized him, he called Omnicron ‘Father,’ and he cast that lightning bolt at Overseer Jack. The only ‘humans’ I’ve seen that can control the elements like that are the Champions.” It also explained why he wouldn’t give up on resurrecting Grunda, but you weren’t about to divulge that bit of the conversation just yet. 

Hilda and Khan nodded at each other, seeming to share a thought. “You believe you’ve been prophesied, do you not?”

“There’s no other explanation for it.” You stated simply. “It’s either a warning telling me to stay away from Omnicron, or it’s a prophecy. I’ll face him no matter what if we fail to stop the Nexolord, so I have to believe it’s a prophecy.”

“We’ll look into it while you all gather your allies.” Hilda murmured, obviously thinking up something. “Don’t trouble yourself with it. We might save you yet.”

She placed a soft hand on your shoulder and smiled. “The universe works in mysterious ways, Y/N. Nothing is set in stone.”

With that troubling information weighing on their minds, everyone departed. You, Deena, and Atlas all continued to the east, heading for the train. 

Overseer Jack and Alvin were talking animatedly with each other as you approached. 

“Hey, you! Jack told me everything, we’re going to get that train working for you ASAP!” Alvin yelled, running up to you and pulling you into a hug. “Damn, I can’t believe you all took out Grunda!”

You nodded, giving the two a small smile. “We got lucky he was still coming off the resurrection. If he’d had time to get back to his full power we would’ve been done for.”

“Just one problem.  _ Alvin _ dropped some gears in the lake that we need to fix that train for you.” Overseer Jack crossed his arms and glared at Alvin, who returned the glare full force.

“I wouldn’t have dropped them if you hadn’t rushed me!”

You cut off the bickering immediately, holding a hand up. “Take me to the lake. I can fish them out for you.”

The two boys grumbled at each other for a moment before Alvin waved you forward. 

“We’ll meet again, but right now I’ve got a city to rebuild. Take care.” Overseer Jack waved as he took off in the opposite direction. 

You pulled the fishing rod out of your backpack, surprised you were actually going to get some use out of it. The lake was murky and you debated for a moment whether you should just risk it and jump in with the fish Nexomon. 

Deena seemed to read your gaze and gave you a sharp, “No.”

You held your hands up placatingly and dropped the line in the water. “Wait, shit, Atlas, do you have any spare magnets on you?” 

“Nope!”

“I’ve got one, but uh… why?” Alvin asked, pulling it out of his toolbox. 

“I can’t pull the gears up myself with just a fishing rod, but I can have kitsunox dive down and grab them by following the line.” You supplied, tying the magnet to the end. You let the end drift around the water as you let Kitsunox out again and explained the plan.

After a few dives, all the gears were recovered. Kitsunox kindly repaid everyone for the work by shaking the water off his coat, spraying everyone. 

You took the brunt of it trying to protect Atlas from another soaking. Once he was finished, you all followed Alvin to the train and watched him repair the gearbox while he explained what the Frozen Tundra was like to you. 

Finally, you were ready to leave. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're going to die, may as well save the rest of the world doing it.


	10. Home Stretch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you begin to face your fears.

The train ride was quiet and tense as you and Deena changed into cold-weather gear. You didn’t have much by way of winter clothes, assuming you would have time to buy them when you set off this morning. You looked at the clock fixed at one end of the train. 8pm. The longer you spent watching it, the darker it got outside. By the time the train pulled to a stop, it was nearly pitch black. Deena pulled a flashlight out of her own backpack and you all stepped off the train. 

“First things first, we need to get into the town and buy you some better clothes. You can’t fight the Nexolord if you’re frozen to death.” Deena proclaimed, walking at the head of the group. You were currently keeping warm by holding Atlas to your chest.

You found and activated a Warp Totem, searching around the network for another nearby one. It indicated that there was an inactive one further northeast, where you assumed the town was. Deena watched curiously until you pulled back, opening your eyes and relaying the information. 

You all started moving again until Deena flipped off her light and pulled both of you into the trees, slapping a hand over your mouth and pointing.

Up ahead, on a frozen lake, you could just barely make out Ira and some other woman talking through the darkness. Two of the Nexolord’s minions were behind them.

“What do you mean  _ you’re _ here to help  _ me _ ?” The other woman sniffed disdainfully. “Does the Nexolord think I’m as incompetent as the rest of you?”

“Hey, I’m just following orders. We might be the only two Overseers on his side anymore!” Ira giggled, hands up.

“I don’t understand why everyone is so concerned about a single tamer, it’s ridiculous…” 

“Hey, they’re stronger than they look!” You bit your lip as Ira defended you. 

“Hardly, you’re all just weaker than you look.”

“Did you not hear the news? They defeated Grunda in the desert, made the whole cave collapse!”

The mystery woman’s face turned ugly. “THAT little mishap was because Overseer Jack happened to betray us. I wonder… are you another traitor?”

“Are you serious?” Ira put a hand on her hip, tone clearly annoyed. 

The woman sighed, turning away. “Do whatever you want, Ira. You may use my minions if you like. Try not to freeze out here.”

In an instant, she was gone. You carefully made your way out of the treeline, holding Kitsunox’s trap at the ready. He had  _ not  _ enjoyed the train ride.

The minions spotted you before you could get too close. “Ira, behind you!”

She whipped around, squinting in the darkness to make you out. “Oh, wow, that was fast!”

“Who were you just talking to, Ira?” You asked boredly.

She laughed. “THAT was Overseer Glacia. She’ll be a real pain to deal with… if you can get past me!”

“This, again?” You sighed, throwing out Prismazor and Kitsunox. “Hang back, Kitsunox. Prismazor and Luhava could use some experience before we go too far ahead.”

“Why do you even want to help Omnicron?” Atlas whined. You all wanted to get to the Tower ASAP.

Ira looked at Atlas like he was stupid. “Uh, hello? Anyone who sides with him will be spared! Stay on the winning side, little robot.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I had to explain the same thing to the Nexolord, not that it did any good. Sure, you’ll get spared at the start while Omnicron kills all the humans who oppose him. He’ll lull you guys into a sense of false security until you’re the only humans left, and then you’ll be too weak to pose any threat, and he’ll kill you too. It’s not hard to figure out.”

Ira laughed you off, as you expected her too, and turned to her new minions. “Alright you two, show me what the Frozen Tundra can do!”

You laughed as they leapt into the battle, watching Prismazor easily take out one team while Luhava slaughtered the other. “Really, Ira? Did you think I’d be weaker now or something? That was pitiful!”

She tossed her head back and groaned as the minions fled. “Uuuuugh, fine. I’ll help you guys. I figured it would come to this when you guys beat up Grunda, but I was kinda hopin’...” She bit her lip and looked back where the henchmen had run off. “Alright, all I can tell you is that ya’ gotta go through Glacia’s city, which is currently setting up a barricade. Lucky for you, I saw the NexoGuard camp getting set up outside. That’s all I’ve got.”

You nodded. “It’ll have to do. Thanks, Ira.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m outta this freezer.” She waved her hand and teleported away. 

The NexoGuard camp was just a short ways away, and everyone in it seemed overjoyed to see you all. They fitted you out with a spare NexoGuard winter uniform and directed you to the Khan Healer. Apparently, they’d picked her up in Solus and brought her with them. Next to her, though, was Agent Bryce.

“Perfect timing as always, Y/N! Everyone saw your defeat of Grunda in the desert.”

“Good to see you, too, Bryce.” You smiled slightly. “Now, what’s this I hear about a barricade?”

Bryce positively beamed at you. “Oh, that! Glacia’s put one up outside the city, but that’s about all we know right now. We’re going to send scouts to gather intel once they’re prepared.”

“I can go ahead and scout.” You waved, already heading out of the camp. 

“That’s the spirit! Any info you can get us will be invaluable. Just be careful, alright?” He called after you.

“Always am.” You replied quietly, dropping your hand as you continued to walk. You noticed Deena had been uncharacteristically silent since the train ride. “Whacha thinkin’ about, Deena?”

“Are you really going to die if you fight Omnicron?” She whispered.

You shrugged. “There’s a slim chance that I just had a weird dream, but with how this day’s been going? Like, don’t get me wrong, I’m going to give it my all. Kitsunox and I could kill god with our bare hands right now, if these last few fights have been any indication. I just… it’s  _ Omnicron _ . I don’t think any amount of training is going to save me now.”

She got quiet again until you started crossing the ice bridge. “Oh, hey, that’s the Nexolord Tower.”

You looked out into the distance where she was pointing. A large black blob was blocking out a patch of stars. As you adjusted to the distance, you could just barely make out the features of the tower. “It’s beautiful.”

“It was built as a monument to Ulzar after he defeated Omnicron and became the first Nexolord.” She sighed wistfully, starting to walk again.

“How are Nexolords appointed now? They can’t just fight Omnicron for it.” Atlas asked.

“Oh!” Deena smiled, and you felt a little bit better at the sight. She shouldn’t be sad just for your sake. “The title can be passed on in old age or fought for in a Nexomon battle!”

“Wow! So if you survive this, you could be the new Nexolord!” Atlas grinned up at you. You had to laugh a little.

“Yeah. If I live, I’ll have all of us live in the Nexolord Tower. We can throw parties and have giant Nexomon tournaments.” A small, calm sigh left you at the thought. It was a nice idea. You and all your friends living in some lavish palace, ruling the world. 

“Not so fast, Y/N!”

You turned your head, throwing down Arctivore. He hadn’t seen enough battles lately, and you missed your good boy. Five flashes of light appeared, leaving behind the Justice Knights. “Are you SURE you’re the chosen one? Fight us to prove it!”

“Yeah, fight the Justice Knights!”

“We’ll see whether or not you’re powerful enough to face the Nexolord!”

The all threw down their own Nexomon, surprising you. “Oh, all at once? Sure, I guess.”

You tossed out everyone except Carnagrius. A fire Nexomon on a bridge made out of ice was a recipe for disaster. Each Nexomon took out an entire team of the Justice Knights’, leaving them all groaning on the bridge.

“Satisfied?”

They gave a collective groan, thumbs up, and then disappeared one by one in more flashes of light. 

“Who… who were those guys?” Deena asked, head tilted. She looked like a little confused puppy and you giggled. 

“Just some old friends. Come on, we’ve got a barricade to check out.”

As you crossed the other end of the ice bridge ( _ terrifying _ ), you heard yelling up ahead. 

“WHAT do you MEAN I can’t get inside?! I. LIVE. HERE.” A woman’s voice rang out in the darkness.

“Overseer Glacia has issued a lockdown! No one may enter the city!”

“Is there a problem?” You said sweetly, approaching the minions behind her.

“YES! These THUGS won’t let me into the city! I was just coming back from a stroll and--”

“Wait a minute!” One of the henchmen exclaimed, pointing at you.

You smiled darkly, eyes half-lidded. “Yes? Do you have something to say?”

The other two minions caught on quickly enough, yelling between each other. “THAT’S THEM!”

“THAT’S THE TAMER!”

“DEFEAT THEM! NOW!”

You hummed to yourself as you let out Carnagrius, now that you were on solid land. “It’s a little chilly out here, don’t you think, miss?” You asked, turning to the girl who’d been yelling earlier. She was wearing a pink sleeveless fur dress. “Once I take care of these nuisances I’m sure Carnagrius wouldn’t mind helping you warm up.”

She snickered, figuring out what was going on. “That would be lovely! Thank you ever so much for the help!”

You positively  _ destroyed  _ the three guards at the front of the city. 

“Retreat!”

“Someone get the Nexolord!”

“We have to tell Glacia!”

You giggled softly, squishing Carnagrius’ face as it purred proudly. “Good job baby, you did great. Now back inside before you catch a cold.”

The girl was looking at you strangely as you returned Carnagrius’ trap to your backpack.

“You’re the one that’s been causing the Nexolord so much trouble? I mean, no offense, but you kinda look like a wimp to me. Hmmm… actually, this might be my chance! See you later!” She smiled and took off inside the city before you could ask what she meant. 

“That was… suspicious. Be ready for trouble.” Atlas said. 

Surprisingly, the city was almost entirely empty. You stopped in the Healing Center and quietly pulled out the last few Nexomon you hadn’t fully evolved yet. On the east and west of the city, you finally managed to fill out your Nexopedia. Well… almost. There was one more Nexomon, listed as Number 6, that you hadn’t been able to find anywhere. Golematon. Atlas said it should be somewhere in the Frozen Tundra, specifically near the Nexolord’s Tower. You vowed to catch one before going in.

With that settled, you brought out your regular team once again and headed to the north. And who better to find than Overseer Glacia, all four Champions, and enough minions to take over Parum with?

You threw your head back and groaned as loud as you could, both because you were genuinely annoyed and because you wanted to annoy everyone else there by interrupting them before they could talk. “Can you guys just give me a fucking break already? I already told James I’m gonna die fighting Omnicron, just let me go already. This shit’s tedious.” 

“Uh… what?” Zetta asked, tilting his head. 

Your head popped back down from staring at the sky. “Oh? He didn’t tell you? Yeah, I’m prophesied to die fighting your dad. Either that, or I somehow stop the resurrection and get killed for tampering with the universe as punishment. I’m, like, super-dead.”

“...Moving on…” Glacia said, looking supremely weirded out. “All of the Champions WERE just fighting over who gets to beat you, and we decided we were going to let you pick…”

You just stared at Glacia. “Are… are you stupid or something?”

“What?” She growled, narrowing her eyes at you. 

You gestured to the Champions in one sweeping motion. “If you think for a second that the rest are just gonna back off if I beat one of them, you’re dumber than Zetta.”

“Hey!” He yelled as the rest of the Champions snickered. 

“No, no, Y/N’s got a point!” Merida grinned at him. 

“Oh, I see Miss I-can’t-even-sink-a-ship-right is trying to talk. Or would you prefer Miss I-suck-at-volleyball?” You crossed your arms casually as the laughter turned back on her. 

“I don’t know what the two of you are laughing about, you haven’t been able to stop me yet either.” You turned a withering glare onto Nadine and Fenrir, and that finally seemed to shut them all up. “Still… you say it’s my choice? Hmmm… gimme a little time. I’ll be back with a decision.”

You turned around and waved over your shoulder as the area erupted into chaos.

“Aren’t you going to chase them?!” Glacia shrieked.

“No. All we have to do is hold this choke point. Nadine, keep your eyes on the skies. I don’t want them flying over us with that overgrown Owl.” Fenrir said. 

Once you were out of earshot, Atlas finally started yelling. “That was SUCH an obvious bluff!! How did you get away with that?!” 

You laughed softly and shrugged. “I have no idea! And no one even asked who Deena was!”

Deena giggled too, appreciating the lighter atmosphere. “They were all so angry at you!”

You were all giggling like little kids when the girl from before approached. 

“Oh! Hello again. Did you just meet Overseer Glacia?”

“Oof, yeah,” You laughed, “and all of the Champions.”

For some reason, she started tearing up. “Oh, those brutes! The entire town has been hiding for weeks because of them!”

“Why haven’t you been hiding?” Atlas asked, raising a digital eyebrow. 

In a flash, her tears turned to conspiratorial glances. “Meet me in the western woods and I’ll show you!”

“...We can just follow you right now. It’s not like we have anything better to do.” You said. 

“Even better! Right this way.” She led you all deep into the western woods. “I’m Juliet, by the way.”

“Y/N. This is Atlas, and this is Deena.” You introduced your companions. 

“Where are you taking us?” Atlas asked.

Juliet smiled, putting her hands on her hips. “Did you all know this is the Nexolord’s hometown?”

“Yep.” You nodded. That seemed to throw her off for a moment. “I’ve been chasing him down since this morning. I did my research.”

“Oh, of course! Well, he used to come into these woods all the time when he was growing up. There’s…” She started to tear up again, immediately concerning all of you. “There’s a giant underground laboratory! I can’t be sure, b-but I think that’s where he’s been building one of his resurrection machines!”

“How long have you known about this?” You asked, suspicious. 

Now she was openly bawling to you all. “I know I should’ve told someone earlier! But I didn’t, and now the world’s in danger! When I heard about what you’d done in the desert I came to investigate myself, but there’s someone guarding the door now! Please, I need your help to break in!”

You hummed to yourself, wondering if that was where you’d seen your vision at Ira’s concert. 

“Are there still people inside?” Atlas asked.

She nodded. “I’m sure of it!”

Belatedly, you realized that Ellie could be in there. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go break into a lab.”

You had to bite back laughter as you saw who was guarding the door. Conversely, the bounty hunter looked like he was going to start choking. 

“No, no, no! You already ruined two of my jobs for me!”

“We need to get iiiiiin~” You sang, dissolving into laughter. 

“Do you two know each other?” Juliet asked, looking between you and him. 

“You really need to stop taking jobs for the Nexolord.” Atlas added. 

Finally, you managed to stop laughing. “Okay, okay, I have an offer. I will pay you WHATEVER James is paying you to stand at this door, to let us in. Promise. I’ll even throw in an extra grand.”

The bounty hunter grumbled for a while, and it definitely  _ didn’t  _ sound like him cussing you out for ruining all his jobs.  _ Definitely _ . Finally, he took the proffered cash. “Fine. I’m outta here.”

“You could always join the NexoGuard!” You sang after him, laughing.

Deena and Juliet were staring at you like you’d grown a second head. 

“How much money do you have??!”

You tapped your chin, thinking. “A little over 600k? Being a tamer is exceptionally lucrative, especially when you’re running across the world in a single day.” 

“Who cares? Let’s go!” Atlas tugged your hand, leading you towards the steel doors. They were freezing to the touch, but silent on the hinges. That was a good sign, at least. 

You immediately spotted a camera trained on the door and bared your teeth in a cheeky grin, flipping off the camera you were sure James was watching. No doubt he’d have heard about your defeat of Grunda by now. 

You strolled through the complex with ease, taking out grunts left and right. Eventually, you made it to a catwalk. On either side were tubes filled with some fluid. Inside were Nexomon, hooked up to tubes.

“Hey. What the fuck?” You asked, staring at a camera and gesturing. 

Atlas looked particularly off-put. “Was this a recent addition?”

“No, I don’t think so. The Nexolord always came here on his own.” Juliet responded.

That made him even more concerned. “Not even Ellie can come up with this kind of technology. This… this is the work of a TRULY amazing scientist.”

“Truly amazing scientist? How kind of you to say so. Thank you.” 

You immediately pulled everyone behind you, heart racing at the sound of that voice. 

“W-where did that come from? Who’s there?!” Juliet cried, cowering. 

“I’m not detecting any other lifeforms in here…” Atlas said, head swiveling as he scanned.

Deena looked pale. “Is it a ghost?!”

As if on cue, Malk materialized from thin air.

“All of you stay behind me.” You hissed, making space between you and the scientist. 

He seemed unfazed. “Hey there. What’s up?”

“H-how did you do that?! What are you?!” Juliet yelled, clinging to your arm. 

“Now, now. There’s no need to be rude. Not everything in the world needs an answ--”

“Malk.”

“Hm?” He glanced up from his book to lock eyes with you.

“ _ This isn’t your fantasy video-game world, Malk _ . That’s what James said to you. You’re Malk.” You repeated. “I didn’t know what he was talking about then, but… That was in Ignitia too, where the old PIXEKAI labs are…” 

You mumbled to yourself quickly, trying to put the pieces together, but there was something missing.

“I’m just a fellow scientist…” He said carefully, watching you. You narrowed your eyes at him, suspicious. 

Deena bailed him out. “What happened to you?”

“An experiment gone terribly wrong, I’m afraid...” Malk responded. You were having a very heated staring competition now.

“Did you help the Nexolord build this place?” Juliet squeaked behind you. You wanted to yell at all of them to shut up and let you think, but Malk continued to answer, glad for the distraction.

“Of course. I taught him everything he knows. I’m his mentor. But that’s not what I’m here for.”

“What do you gain by helping the Nexolord?” You murmured. It felt like the answer was on the tip of your tongue.

He ignored you. “I actually wanted to ask you a favor, Y/N. I’ve… never had a Nexomon battle before. Beat me, and I’ll let you through to see your friend.”

“That doesn’t make sense. Couldn’t we just wait you out?” Atlas asked. 

“You could, but that’s wasting precious time you don’t have.” Malk responded. 

You came to a decision. “I’ll battle you. But I want to know what you gain from helping the Nexolord.”

He chuckled and threw out a Nexomon, seeming from nowhere. “If you win, certainly.”

Malk, surprisingly, put up the biggest challenge out of everyone you’d fought in the lab. Which is to say, he still wasn’t a challenge.

“Fascinating… Nexomon are truly magnificent creatures.” He mused, pencilling something down in his book.

Juliet looked angry. “There’s no way that was your first Nexomon battle!”

“I assure you, it was.” He closed his book returning his gaze to you.

“Well? I’m waiting on that answer.” You said, crossing your arms. 

He gave a small smile. “I’m afraid we’ve run out of time. We’ll meet again, Y/N.”

“No! Kitsunox, grab him!” You ordered, but it was too late. Kitsunox’s paws met empty air. “Bastard!”

Deena looked pale. “We should ask Hilda about that guy.”

“Can we just keep going? I don’t want to think about him anymore!” Juliet complained, tears in her eyes again. You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes.

Drama queen…

You ran into the next room. Inside, thankfully, were the four scientists. 

“Ellie!” You and Atlas shouted in unison, running up to her.

“Doctor Margo!” Deena waved to the other woman. 

“What took you so long? This place is deplorable!” A grey-haired scientist complained.

After introductions were made, your gaze landed on the machine behind the four scientists. “Is that…?”

“No, that’s just the prototype. The real one was already shipped to the Tower.” Ellie whined. 

“Shit.” You breathed, staring at the floor. It felt like you’d just been punched in the gut. Reality was starting to close in on you terrifyingly fast. 

“We tried to sabotage it, but that ghost scientist watched us the entire time.”

“He knows what he’s doing.”

“Such a creep!”

You slapped your hands together, silencing the scientists. “We need to move, NOW. Let’s get out of here before any more grunts arrive. I’m sure Malk is telling the Nexolord all about us right now…”

Juliet led everyone to her house, where you all gathered around her table to formulate a plan.

“Alright, Glacia and the Champions are holding the entrance with about twenty grunts. We need something to take them all out, or we’re never getting inside.” You started.

“Well, the Champions are easy enough.” Dr Winston, the oldest of the scientists, stated. 

“How do you figure?” Deena asked.

“Simple!” Dr. Oswald slapped a hand on the table. “You have a Nexocore! And seeing as the Champions are Nexomon, they are highly susceptible to the energy it gives off.”

“Correct, we merely need to detonate it close enough to them to incapacitate them.” Dr. Margo finished. 

Atlas fished the Nexocore out of his central chamber, placing it on the table. “There’s not much power left in it…”

“Oh, we can fix that!” Ellie smiled maliciously. You’d missed her, and found yourself mirroring her grin.

“What’s the plan, Nuts?” You giggled at the use of your childhood nickname for her, after the hex nuts she wore in her hair.

She crossed her arms, staring down at you and giving a haughty laugh. “Why, my dear Bolts, with the right tools we can MASSIVELY amplify the power of that weak little Nexocore!”

“Whatever you need, my liege, just say the word! I am but a humble servant to your greatness!” You bowed, both of you dissolving into giggles. The rest of the assembled group stared on in confusion. 

“Okay, but seriously, we just need some Nexonium. There should be some around here, but Juliet would know better than us.” Ellie said after she finished giggling. 

You nodded. “Easy enough. Any leads, Juliet?”

“There’s a cave to the east with a bunch of shiny rocks! I don’t know for sure if they’re Nexonium, but I can take you there now!” She smiled, getting up. 

“Lead the way!” You and Atlas followed her out.

As you walked, Atlas struck up a conversation. “Hey, Juliet, I’ve been wondering… Why are you helping us out?”

“What do you mean? I’m just a nice person.” She smiled. You watched the corner of her mouth twitch. 

Atlas didn’t respond, just staring at her with a suspicious expression. Eventually, she broke.

“Alright! You got me!” She stuttered, turning a bright pink and turning around, starting to walk towards the cave again. “I-I…  _ I love the Nexolord _ ! I wanted to be the Overseer of this town, and stand by his side!”

You were positively  _ reeling  _ from this information and had to remind your legs to start moving again. 

“Can you BELIEVE he picked Glacia as Overseer instead of me?!” She fumed. 

Atlas, about as subtle as a brick, responded with, “Yes. She’s terrifying.”

Juliet continued on as though she hadn’t heard him. “Ever since that day, I’ve sworn to take her down! THAT’S why I need you to defeat her! Then the Nexolord will come running into my arms!” She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. 

You stared at Atlas and make a throat-cutting motion with your hand. The message was clear.

_ Tell her anything about me and James and I will dismantle you myself. _

Instead of digging himself an early grave, he just told Juliet that she was crazy. 

“The Nexolord’s crazy too! We’re made for each other!” She did a little spin as she walked. 

“I mean she’s got a point.” You chuckled to yourself. 

Finally, you were all at the mouth of the cave. There was a small house next to it that Juliet stopped at, staring wistfully.

“This used to be the Nexolord’s house… Everyone avoids it now, but I just know there’s secrets inside! If only I could find the key…” She sighed, staring at it with a dreamy expression. 

You look at your gloved fist, then at the window. Really, a simple solution to a simple problem. But it would have to wait.

“Alright, Atlas and I are going to search the cave. You should head back home. Thank you, Juliet.” You gave her a smile and a wave as she left, grateful she hadn’t insisted on leading you through the cave herself. If you had to spend another moment with you you probably would’ve committed a crime. And that would be two rich blonde kids on your shitlist, and you really couldn’t have that.

Atlas was immediately on you as you entered the cave. “What was THAT?! You didn’t even flinch!”

“Oh, I flinched. Didn’t you notice I just stopped walking for a second back there?”

“She’s in love!!! With the Nexolord!!!”

“So I heard. That’s a  _ her _ problem.”

“But he’s in love with you!!!”

“Supposedly. I still don’t buy it.” You shrugged, wandering deeper into the cave. A few stray Nexomon crossed your path, but it was mostly empty. Finally, you spotted a Nexonium crystal in the far back of the cave. Before you could grab it, though, Ulzar decided to appear. 

“FUCKING!!! Don’t DO that, you scared the shit out of me!” You hissed, trying not to wake any sleeping Nexomon. It was almost 9:30 now. “Fuckin’ sneaking up on me like Malk…”

“You’ve met him?” Ulzar asked, surprised.

You nodded, rolling your shoulders. Your entire body was sore from being pushed so far beyond its limits, but you couldn’t stop now. “Some kinda ghost or something.”

“He’s no ghost. That man is neither dead nor alive, but that is unimportant now. You’re out of time.”

“Come again, motherfucker?” You asked, putting a hand out to stop Kitsunox from jumping him. As it was, the fox let out a dangerous growl. 

“Omnicron’s resurrection is imminent. You’ll have to fight him.”

“Oh, I already figured that.” You shrugged. 

“... You did? No matter, I came to warn you one last time. You Nexomon will betray you, and you need to be prepared for that.”

“Fenrir and Grunda both tried that and not only were my Nexomon fine, everyone else who was fighting them was fine too. So, like, I want to believe you, but nothing of the sort has happened yet.” You shrugged again, ruffling Kitsunox’s head fur.

“Fool. They are all children of Omnicron, just like the Champions. You are playing right into his hand!” Something dangerous flashed in Ulzar’s eyes and this time,  _ you _ pulled  _ Kitsunox  _ behind you. “With the last of my strength, I will open your eyes!” 

A perfect mirror of your team appeared before him, all snarling and snapping their teeth. Kitsunox leapt in front, tackling his mirror to the floor. You sent out the rest of your team immediately, and they all faced off against their twins. 

Malk had been harder than the others, but this? This was insanity. They were perfectly matched, trading blows with no side getting any stronger. Somehow, you managed to pull out the win. 

Ulzar simply glared at you as he disappeared once more. You rushed to your Nexomon, reviving the fallen and spending all of your potions and ethers just to get one of them back to full health so you could leave. 

“You’re ok, you’re ok, I’m here.” You whispered, cradling Kitsunox from his position on the floor. He was whimpering and covered in deep red gouges from the other fox. “I’m gonna put you back so you can get some rest. You did great.” You murmured, touching your foreheads together before returning him. 

Quickly, you grabbed the Nexonium and took off with Atlas out of the cave. That had been… harrowing. 

You stopped at the Healing Center to patch everyone else back to full health, and then made an emergency visit to Ron’s shop. He was wiping the counters down and getting ready to close for the day until you slammed your wallet on the counter.

“Potions. Ethers. Revives. Everything. All of it. Whatever it costs.” You said, pupils completely dilated from the adrenaline of almost losing your Nexomon. He nodded and wordlessly grabbed everything you asked for. The total was well into the thousands. “Good luck, Y/N.”

Now, fully stocked, you returned to Juliet’s house with the Nexonium. 

“Great timing, we were just finishing up!” Ellie clapped, taking the Nexonium from your hands from across the table. “Atlas, you’re going to take the bomb and roll up to the Champions. When you get close enough, it will send out an energy wave that will cripple them all!”

“Won’t that short him out?” You asked, looking down at him with concern. You’d only known him for a day, but you’d broken into more houses with him than anyone else. Even Ellie.

“Silly tamer, the energy from the Nexocore only affects Nexomon!” Dr. Oswald laughed. You and Ellie shared a look. She was definitely the smarter of the pair, but you weren’t exactly a dunce.

“Carrying on…” Ellie said, putting the finishing touches on the bomb. “Alright, it’s done. Come here, Atlas.”

He carefully drove around the table and opened his chest compartment. 

“Good to go?” You asked.

“Good to go. You’ll still have to fight Glacia, but this should help.” Ellie nodded.

“I’m coming with!” Juliet pouted, raising her hand. You suppressed a groan.

You, Atlas, and Juliet left everyone else. Deena was noticeably absent from the table, but you figured she’d gone to the bathroom or something.

When you strolled back up to Glacia and the Champions, you noticed all the grunts had disappeared.  _ Nice _ .

“I can’t believe you actually came back.” Glacia sighed, looking at her nails. She looked up when she saw the flash of pink. “Oh. OH! Is that little  _ Juliet _ ?? You teamed up with THAT hopeless woman?” The night air filled with her laughter. 

Before you could respond, Juliet was screaming. “GLACIA! Today is the day the Nexolord sees how big of a mistake he made choosing you over me!”

Glacia, miraculously, shut up for a second before breaking into more giggles. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I actually tried to take you seriously there! What attempt is this, thirty-three? I lost track after the first dozen.” 

“Ahem.” Atlas said, mimicking clearing his throat. You glanced down at him, startled from the discussion between the girls. 

Glacia stopped laughing again immediately, turning to frown at him. “What’s wrong with your little robot?”

“I-I need… to… ask you something.” Atlas said, slowly rolling forward. You raised your eyebrow, mimicking confusion.

Your face perfectly mirrored Glacia’s as she trained her gaze on Atlas. “Yeah?”

“What’s… your favorite color?”

“What?”

“Just answer the question! It’s important!” He whined, continuing his slow march.

“B-blue…?”

“I see… that’s… um… very interesting!”

“What the hell are you trying to pull?” Fenrir asked, annoyed. 

You put your arms up in a ‘ _ don’t look at me, I had nothing to do with this _ ’ gesture.

While everyone was looking at you, Atlas ran full speed into their midst. “HIYAAAAAAAAAA!”

The Nexocore detonated in a blinding flash of light, turning the pitch black night to day for just an instant. 

As your eyes readjusted, you saw the four Champions on the ground. They looked generally worse for wear. 

“It worked! It actually worked!! Eep!” Atlas yelled, running back towards you and away from Glacia’s glare. 

“What did you do?!” She seethed.

“Fuckinnnnn… bomb.” You shrugged, high-fiving Atlas.

“Your body guards won’t help you now, Glacia!” Juliet huffed, advancing with you and Atlas. 

You crossed your arms and looked at your nails, copying her pose from before. “Are you going to let us through, or do this the hard way?”

Her face turned bright red, a hilarious contrast to the shades of blue that marked all her garments.

“Tsk! You think I depend on THEM? I’ll show the might of a true Overseer!” She growled, taking out her Nexotraps.

You shrugged. “Sorry for the cheap trick, guys, but really, I’m not about a 5-v-1. It’s just no fun. Oh, and you’ll be fine in a bit. I just needed enough time to get to the tower.”

You threw down your own Nexomon, now soaring in the 70s. According to Atlas, Glacia’s Nexomon were all mid-50s range. You destroyed her while the Champions could do nothing but look on.

“Cool… might of a true Overseer…” You smacked your lips, bouncing your leg as you waited for her to say something.

“I won’t let you in!” She growled, widening her stance as though she was preparing to physically fight you. You touched the cut on your cheek where you’d fought Hendrick and smiled. 

“You really don’t want to do that, hun. I don’t hold back.”

She pulled the snowflake clip out of her hair and let it reflect in the moonlight. You saw the blades. Your hand flexed, itching to reach for your pocket knife. You really didn’t want to, but…

“Afraid yet?” She sneered, slowly advancing.

You sighed, whipping it out and opening the blade in less than a second. “You guys are really just the worst, you know? I didn’t come over here for a goddamn knife fight.”

Just a little too late, you realized what was going on. The Champions all stood up one-by-one, glaring and grinning.

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Oh, I see. Clever play. I can respect it.”

She huffed, putting the clip back in her hair. 

“I’m guessing the scientists helped you pull off that little stunt?” Nadine growled, cracking her knuckles. 

“We’ll have to pay them a visit after we’re done.” Merida added. 

You leapt back as a burst of flame ripped through the area. 

“Fuck, Fenrir! I can’t fight you if I’m charred to a damn crisp!” You hissed, rubbing your eyes.

Instead of Fenrir, Ira responded. “Hope I’m not late to the party!”

You blinked a few times, eyes watering. “What the fuck, you almost singed me!”

“Ira? What are you doing here?” Glacia glared at her. As if on cue, the rest of the Alliance appeared in flashes of blue light.

“You are all going to give me a seizure.” You grumbled, blind again until your eyes re-re-REadjusted.

“The Champions are weak! Now is the time to strike!” Remus roared. 

“I’ve been waitin’ to get my revenge, fire-boy!” Ivan laughed, punching his palm.

Everyone yelled at the Champions, taunting them while they prepared to battle.

Even Spencer showed up!

You wondered if anyone would think him slipping off the giant ice bridge was suspicious.

“N-Nadine, Fenrir, get rid of them!” Glacia ordered.

They remained silent, all eyes focused on you.

Fenrir was the first to speak. “We can’t transform like this.”

“What?! NO, I am NOT losing the Tower! It must be guarded!” She raged. 

Merida stretched her arms out. “You already failed us, Glacia. We’re out.” 

“B-but, what am I supposed to do?!” She whimpered, realizing just how outnumbered she was.

Zetta turned his most charming smile towards her. “Get lost.”

They all disappeared (with more flashing lights), and then it was just you, the Alliance, and Glacia. She immediately turned tail and ran for the Tower.

“Awesome. Thanks for the save, guys.” You grinned, tossing Kitsunox’s trap in your hand. “I thought I was gonna have to take them all on myself.”

“Now is our chance.” Remus nodded. “The way to the Tower is open.”

“And the NexoGuard is on their way!” Ivan added.

Ira looked around at all the members of the Alliance and grinned. “We’re gonna set up a camp outside and wait for them to show up. Sound good to you?”

You blinked for a moment, confused. “Wait, shit! I didn’t tell you! Hilda, Khan, we’re out of time, Omnicron’s coming back!”

Your mortality chose that moment to strike you, and you were overwhelmed by just how much you DIDN’T want to die. 

Juliet pulled you out of it by doing a little victory dance at your side. “Yes! Glacia is GONE! But… I don’t think the Nexolord will ever love me after this…” She pouted.

You bit your lip and took a deep breath. Well… if you’re already gonna die…

“Hey, Juliet? I really hate to break it to you, but apparently James has been crushing on me for three years now. Not by choice. I fucking hated him until this morning. I still hate him, but I at least understand him a little more. Also, it’s really weird how you don’t call him by his name. Just saying.”

Without waiting for a reply, you took off at a sprint for the Tower. Atlas’ engine whirred beside you, drowning out whatever she’d finally yelled after you. You could imagine it without needing to hear it.

Remus quickly caught up to you on your left. “Before you go in, Y/N… I need to know you’re strong enough for this.” 

Still running, he threw out his Nexomon. You both slid to a stop as you faced off. 

“I saw a spark in James when he challenged me. I see a raging inferno in you.” He called out as your Nexomon clashed. The battle was over in minutes, with you clearly the victor. He simply nodded and stepped aside to let you pass.

You healed up your Nexomon again and starting running. As you passed the statue of James standing at the front of the Tower, you felt the overwhelming urge to jump to the top of it and kick the head down. You decided that would be your motivation to survive, and kept going. 

Little things.

You made it to the front and stopped, taking several deep breaths.

“This is it.” Atlas said, engine whirring softly beside you.

You just nodded, straightening up and taking the last few steps inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you ready to die?


	11. The King of Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you have one continuous mental breakdown, and some other stuff happens.

The Nexolord’s Tower was positively SWARMING with wild Nexomon. Before you could do anything, though, your eyes glazed over. Just for a moment. Just long enough to watch Malk appear outside the tower and say, “This is going to be interesting to watch.”

Then you were whipping out your Nexomon left and right, beating back the tides as quickly as you could to get to the inner chambers. As you ran, shadows of the monster from your dream appeared to taunt you. 

“The Champion of Mankind has come…”

“...Brethren of Ulzar, step forth into my darkness eternal!”

You ignored them, racing towards the now-burning heat inside the tower. You came to a stop in front of Fenrir. Remus and Ivan were already knocked out on the ground. They must’ve teleported in earlier to weaken him for you.

“Took you long enough.” He huffed, running a hand through his hair. “Tell me, why are you still holding onto your Nexomon? You know by now they’re just going to turn on you. I’d tell you to give up and join us, for James’ sake, but I think you’re beyond reasoning now.”

You sighed, tossing down Kitsunox. “I have known Kitsunox for under twenty-four hours. In that short time, he has saved my life countless times, and I his. I would LIKE to think we’re friends now, if not more. In fact, I would argue all my Nexomon are like children and siblings to me.”

Fenrir’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “What… the hell? You really ARE just like Ulzar…”

You shrugged. “I mean, he did kick your ass, so I think that’s a solid track record to follow. Not to mention you said yourself that my team has a… ‘rebellious streak’.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I understood why James was so willing to let you go over and over again, but the game ends here. You’ve had your chances. We all would have vouched to you for Father Omnicron. I’m done.”

His body started to shift and the air got noticeably warmer. “Long, long ago, Father Omnicron told me that great warriors are forged in flames…”

The room shook, and before you stood Fona. “And it is the weak who fuel them! Free from Ulzar’s chains, the third child of Omnicron is reborn… I AM FONA, OF THE UNDYING FIRE!”

“I actually have a question about that. Do you guys have to say that, or is that just something you all agreed to do? Like, is it a power-up phrase or something? Also, saying Father Omnicron all the time is weird. Just call him dad. Hell, just call him father. You guys are so weird about it.” 

You rambled about all the little oddities you’d noticed about their family as Kitsunox positively  _ shredded  _ Fona. Everyone had gotten considerably stronger going through the gauntlet at the front of the tower. 

You ran forward to catch Fenrir as his transformation fell. He was gasping for breath. “Come on, let’s get you out of here so you can breathe some normal air, hot-head.” 

“Friends, huh…?” He coughed out, starting to fade.

You froe, panic setting in. “Hey, I’m the only one allowed to die here, cut that shit out. C’mon, Fenrir, don’t--”

But he was already gone. 

Now it was your turn to gasp for air. Ivan and Remus were slowly getting up behind you. “Y/N, you can’t stay here. The other Overseers are fighting as we speak… you have to save them.”

“I-I didn’t… I didn’t want to--” You gasped.

“I can still detect his life force further inside the Tower, come on!” Atlas said, grabbing you and giving a sharp pull. You couldn’t tell if he was just lying for your sake, but the others needed you.

Kitsunox let out a surprised yip as his wounds from the fight were healed. You stared with more than a little bit of fear, but whatever. You guess.

You started running again, only to see the shadow beast.

“...I purged your filthy brethren from this world a millenia ago…”

This time, you decided you’d had enough. “You fucked up then, cause I’m still here.”

“Who are you talking to?” Atlas asked, spinning his head around.

“...This war ends today!”

“I’m gonna kick your fucking ass, you overgrown dog.” You growled.

“What are you talking about?!” Atlas yelled, concerned now. “Did you hit your head?! Are you concussed from spinning??”

You looked down at him and laughed. “The big dog from my dream is taunting me as a shadow and I am very over it.”

The air continued to cool as you ran, and eventually you heard the sound of rushing water. Before you could get to Merida, though, you encountered a whining Spencer.

“W-WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!”

“Tell you what? Also, what the hell are you doing in here, you don’t even have Nexomon!” You scolded. “Get out while you still can, it’s going to get ugly.”

“THEY’RE ACTUAL MONSTERS!”

You deadpanned. “Spencer… they are the Children. Of. Omnicron. I don’t have time for this.”

The platform rattled with the sound of your footsteps as you continued, finding Merida just a little way ahead. 

“I hear you defeated Fenrir.” She started.

“I didn’t want to! He was going to kill Remus and Ivan!” You hissed.

“He’s too old for this anyway. You, on the other hand, have become a true warrior. You and James are matched.” She turned towards you, one arm on her hip. “Shall we? I won’t let you just pass.”

You growled, rubbing your eyes. “Dammit Merida, I don’t want to kill you guys.”

She was already transformed, staring you down. “Free from Ulzar’s chains, the fifth child of Omnicron is reborn. I AM ARQUA, OF THE OCEANS!”

You didn’t have the energy to make a quip about that stupid catchphrase, instead just letting out Prismazor to end this fight quickly. 

You managed to grab her arm and haul her over the side of the railing as she detransformed. “Merida, don’t do this to me, I already watched Fenrir disappear, you can’t die too!”

“Well! It seems like you’re not as strong as you seemed!” Spencer huffed. Your gaze flashed to him and he SHRIEKED before running off.

Merida was staring at you when you turned back to her. “...you don’t know what you’re fighting against, Y/N…”

You sighed and held her until she disappeared, the weight disappearing from your arms. You stood up slowly and just started walking. 

The shadow appeared again, but this time you just flipped it off. 

“My awakening will be your demise…”

“...My ascension will be your downfall!”

“You are but a stepping stone of my ride to power!”

“When I find you I’m going to beat your ass to hell and back for making me do this, do you hear me?” You growled. 

“Who are you talking to?” Nadine asked, obviously confused.

“AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO SEES THE FUCKING SHADOW OMNICRON TALKING SHIT?!” You shrieked, throwing your arms out at your sides. 

“Yes.” Atlas responded. 

“...No matter.” Nadine tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Are you certain you wish to follow in Ulzar’s footsteps? Your Nexomon will betray you, just as they betrayed him.”

“I will cross that fucking bridge when I get to it. Are you certain you wish to follow in your sibling’s footsteps and make me watch you all disappear?”

She simply gave a sad smile, transforming as the wind picked up all around you. “Free from Ulzar’s chains, the second child of Omnicron is reborn. I AM VENTRA, OF THE TEMPEST!”

“So be it.” You sighed. Before you could throw out a Nexomon, Ventra whipped a gale of wind at you so hard you were knocked to the ground. “Really? Is that how you want to fight?”

“You underestimate me, brethren of Ulzar. You fight a hopeless battle, and you will perish for it.”

“Yeah, fighting your piece of shit dad, not you.”

She let out a screech somewhere between a bird and a dinosaur, whipping up a literal tornado to throw you off the sky bridge.

You braced yourself, but nothing happened. When you looked up, Khan was in front of you, dispelling the tornado all on his out. “Y/N not alone! Daughter of Omnicron fall today! FALL!”

“Come on, get up!” Hilda, Overseer Jack, and Ira all pulled you back up.

“Miserable human rats, you will ALL share the same fate. As long as I spread my wings, you shall ROT under my shadow!”

Khan turned around. “Have Khan’s strength! Khan’s power!”

A green light enveloped you, sapping the soreness from your muscles and returning the strength to your limbs.

“I see a bright future, with you leading us.”

As everyone cheered you on, more and more green lights appeared and took away your fatigue.

You stared at Ventra, hopeless to stop them from trying to change your doomed fate. Slowly, you began to advance on her once more. She threw more and more tornados, but you passed right through them. Finally, you were standing at her feet once more.

“Are you going to fight me for real now, or keep wasting your power on this little windstorm?”

She shrieked as you sent out Carnagrius, desperately trying to throw you off as you dealt attack after attack.

The wind stopped. 

She fell.

“Luhava, catch her!” You yelled.

She rolled off his back and into your arms. “Nadine, why are you all doing this? It doesn’t have to be this way.”

Nadine just stared into the sky. “You can’t win, Y/N. Father Omnicron cannot be defeated. But…” She glanced at you, a small smile on her face. “You have become a true warrior. Well done.”

Khan approached as she faded away. “Only one guardian remains. Almighty Luxa of the Thunder! End is close. We must end.”

You nodded, standing up once more. Hilda came to your side now, a smile once more on her face.

“There is a chance, you know.”

“Hm?”

“A chance for this all to end well. Where everyone survives. Even you.”

“How? Fenrir, Merida, Nadine, they’re all--”

“Alive. At the top of the tower, where they are saving the last of their power to resurrect Omnicron. You must face him, Y/N, and you must win. That is the first step to saving this doomed universe.”

You flexed your fists, marvelling at how mere minutes ago every step had been filled with agony. Your entire body had been running on adrenaline for nearly 15 hours at that point, and even that wasn’t enough to stop your muscles from protesting every little motion.

“... I’ll try.”

Khan flinches as Carnagrius’ wounds were healed, seemingly from nowhere. “She! She watches!”

“Who?” You asked, but he shook his head.

“Guardian, protecting you and your Nexomon. Go, now!”

You nodded and took off with newfound confidence. Once again, the idea that everyone could just be lying to you so they wouldn’t die wriggled its way into the back of your head, but you could squash it for now.

“Hey James, your interior design is wack! All these statues of yourself? Wack as hell!” You yelled, watching as your party fought through another wave of hostile Nexomon. From the corner of your eye you spotted a Golematon fighting with Arctivore, and lobbed a Nexotrap. It was immediately transported to storage by Atlas, and you couldn’t help but laugh. At least you’d die with a full Nexopedia, plus Luhava.

Finally, you made it to another sky bridge. Unfortunately, Spencer was there as well.

_ Don’t throw the kid, don’t throw the kid, just because you’re going to die doesn’t mean you should commit infanticide, do NOT throw the kid! _

“H-h-help meeee!” He wailed, curled in a ball and sobbing.

Atlas was having none of it. “Why did you even come with us?”

“N-n-n-no! This is d-d-different! Zetta, h-he’s HUGE!”

“All of them are huge, haven’t you been paying attention?” Atlas complained.

The bridge shook and you dropped low, trying to keep your center of gravity in case you needed to run.

“H-HE’S COMING AGAIN! GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE!”

“How bad can he be? You need to man up.” Atlas rolled his eyes.

You peered over the edge. Big mistake. “Hey Atlas… you wanna take a look at this?”

Before he could get to the edge to look over, Luxa shot up past it and snaked back around to look at you. He easily dwarfed the Nexolord’s Tower in size.

“Oh. Now I get it.” Atlas stated.

You tilted your head, taking in his appearance. “I was wondering what color your eyes were. The visor makes more sense now, seeing you like this.”

He let out a laugh that shook the air. “You like what you see, Y/N? This could’ve all been yours, if you’d just decided to join us like we asked!”

You shrugged, buying time for Atlas to drag Spencer away from the battle. “I mean, considering my best friend, my parents, the Alliance, and pretty much everyone else I know is human, you’re not exactly giving me the best options. Just promise me if I die fighting your dad you’ll take care of my team for me, ‘kay?”

“Bold of you to assume you’ll make it past me! Free from Ulzar’s chains, the sixth Child of Omnicron is reborn. I AM LUXA OF THE LIGHTNING!”

Atlas finally returned, Spencer-less. “Why are you so big? Aren’t you one of the youngest?”

“You DARE ascend to my domain in the trembling skies? You will face my wrath for such transgressions!”

“Tell it to your sister, she’s the one with wings.” You tossed out Arctivore and got Luhava ready in case Luxa decided to destroy the bridge. At the very least, he would need to catch Zetta when he detransformed.

Or so you thought.

Zetta zipped himself to the bridge and basically stumbled into your arms, laughing weakly. “You’re really something, you know? I think Father Omnicron would’ve liked you. You’re… still not strong enough to beat him… but he would’ve respected how far you’ve come…”

“I’m gonna kick your dad’s ass, even if I have to go fisticuffs. I’m not above animal cruelty if it’s to save all of mankind from a homicidal dog.”

He laughed as he faded from your arms.

“Time to beat up James.” You stood up and clapped your hands together. Your brain had finally passed from existential terror to complete over-confidence, as a final defense mechanism to keep you from breaking down. “We’re a little ahead of schedule, but I don’t think he’ll mind too much.”

You made to a long bridge leading to the platform from your dream, but before you could cross it, a piece of shit appeared.

“Malk! You gonna answer my fucking question now, asshole?” You grinned, tossing Kitsunox’s Nexotrap in your hand. “I figured out you must’ve escaped from PIXEKAI, but I can’t understand why, and I don’t know why you’re helping James try to get us all killed.”

“You remind me of an old friend, you know…” He grinned, flipping through his book. “I’ll tell you, since your world is about to come to an end. Long ago, some very smart people foresaw Omnicron’s return. They created a new world! Somewhere to escape to.”

“Yeah, PIXEKAI, that was what my parents were working on before James hit them up about the resurrection machine.”

“It was going to be a place where you could all upload your minds. It had everything! They even created creatures just like Nexomon, and digital humans to interact with!”

“Ooooh, I get it, you’re a digital person, you became self aware, and you got out. Alright, got that much, but why Omnicron?”

“Do you have any idea what I felt like when I realized I was just a bunch of zeros and ones? That everything around me was fake? HA! I  _ destroyed  _ PIXEKAI. All of it.”

You nodded, mulling over the words. “Okay, okay, this is a revenge plot. You’re mad at us for making you smart enough to realize your world was fake. I mean, can’t say I agree, but whatever. I would’ve been fuckin’ AMPED to find out there was a whole other world outside of mine, and sure I probably would’ve been a little resentful when I realized how shallow MY world was, but like. Damn dude, why’d ya have to go and kill all your virtual dudes? Why not bring them out too, merge the two worlds? You seem smart enough to pull that off.” You shrugged. 

Suddenly, the ground shook. Malk gave you one last manic grin and some parting words. “Omnicron’s getting impatient, Y/N. You wouldn’t wanna make him wait, would you?”

You blinked incredulously as he faded away too. “If this dog is an easy fight I’m going to kill everyone all over again for hyping him up to me, and I won’t even feel bad this time.”

You proceeded to the final room. Inside, all your allies were strewn about on the ground, unconscious. The giant shadow was looming behind James and the other Champions.

“Oh thank fuck you’re all alive, that scared the shit out of me. Don’t! Fucking! Do that!” You scolded them all. “And you!” James flinched as you pointed in his direction, but your eyes were on the shadow. “Talk shit again and I’m going to figure out how to become a shadow so I can kick YOUR ass, too!”

“You can see him?” James asked, looking over his shoulder.

“No fucking shit, sherlock! I’m still not over that whole chat we had in the cave, by the way. Oh, and your big brother’s a weak bitch, you should NOT have made him fight us all like that.”

“Wait, MY big brother?” James asked.

You took a deep breath and sank into a squat, fingers steepled in front of you. “You do not get to shoot fucking LIGHTNING at Overseer Jack, call Omnicron ‘Father Omnicron,’ and have Grunda recognize you the INSTANT he wakes up from resurrection and act surprised when I figure out you’re one of Omnicron’s kids. That’s not how this works!”

“They’re smarter than they look.” Nadine hummed to herself, fingers pressed over her lips. “Shall we get this over with?”

You rolled your eyes back as James started speaking again, figuring he would try at least one last time before giving up. “Y/N, you can still join us. Just say the word, and--”

“I challenged you this morning to a Nexomon battle for the title of Nexolord. You repaid that challenge with nearly getting me killed over 10 times. At this point, I actually WANT to fight your piece of shit dad. But! There’s one thing I need to do first.” 

You strode up to James, watching him back away in fear until there was nowhere else for him to go. “Look at me.”

You could see his heart racing as he stared. 

“Y’know, I hated you for three years. Really, really hated you. You walked into my house on my birthday with that cocky attitude and that stupid resurrection machine, and I didn’t get a decent night’s sleep ever again. Hell, this morning I woke up because you made my parents set it off on a test run!”

You took a breath, blocking out all the stares from the other Champions. 

“And then I stole your Nexomon, and instead of killing me on the spot, which I KNOW you’re capable of, you let me keep him and gave me an earpiece so we could keep in touch. And I got to know a lot more about you. At one point, I found myself enjoying our conversations while I was busy hunting for my Nexopedia. It’s finished, by the way.”

“You did?” He breathed, leaning ever so slightly forward. 

“I did. I realized I’d misjudged you, and that I didn’t really know anything about you in the first place. But then I saw you talking with Malk during that concert, and I found out even more about you. I felt betrayed, and pissed, and I vowed I would get any information out of you that I could so I could stop your little scheme to get everyone killed.”

Another breath, another weight off your chest. “Sending Merida after me was the last straw. Because I realized you were playing me just as much as I was playing you.”

“I was trying to keep you safe!”

“Maybe so, but you should know by now that I’m not the sort of person you can  _ keep safe _ .”

He grabbed both your arms, leaning in. His voice was laced with panic. “Yes, I can, if you would just--”

You kissed him. Just a quick peck. Just enough to stun him into silence. 

“Summon your dad so I can kick his ass, James. I’m ready.”

You pulled back, eyes glazing over as you placed your mask one last time. The time for emotions had passed.

All the other Champions were silent as well, staring at their brother.

He was just staring at you, beet-red all the way to the tips of his ears.

You crossed your arms. “Come on, don’t keep us waiting. Omnicron and I have unfinished business.”

You heard the breath leave his lungs in a tiny gasp.

“James.” Merida whispered. It carried, despite the howling snowstorm.

His voice was a broken creak. “Ok.”

Fenrir started the summon as you leaned back against the wall.

“I am your third child, Fona of the Undying Fire… I will ignite your ancient soul.”

“I am your second child, Ventra of the Almight Tempest… None shall stand against your might eternal.”

“I am your fifth child, Arqua of the Bottomless Ocean… In your name, this world shall be flooded into oblivion.”

“I am your sixth child, Luxa of the Blasting Lightning… Together, we will smite the human pest that roams this land.”

“As the seventh Child of Omnicron… on this day we shall finish what we started.”

They each gave you a final, sad look before turning into bright orbs of swirling energy. The world flashed white, and you lost consciousness.

When you awoke, you were laying on the broken pillar from your dream. Slowly. You staggered to your feet. Omnicron, just as he’d appeared in your dream, loomed above you.

“The big blue bitch himself.” You said, tired of this already. 

“O brethren of Ulzar’s… I am the Lord of all those you address as Nexomon… I bring power to my children… I bring demise to your kind! You DARE to use my own descendants against me?! Such naivety… your ‘friendship’ is built upon a millenia of slavery! I shall devour your lies, and set all my children free!”

“Shut. The  _ fuck _ . Up. All of my Nexomon know they can leave whenever they want to. Using Nexomon that don’t want to fight is just asking for a shitty team.”

He slammed one of his massive paws into the ground, changing the terrain. You were now floating in a sea of lava. 

“I WILL TURN YOUR LIES TO ASH WITH FONA’S UNDYING FIRE!”

Once again, Fona appeared. 

Once again, you defeated him.

The terrain changed once more, this time to a beach not unlike Palmaya. 

“I WILL FLOOD YOUR WORLD INTO OBLIVION WITH ARQUA’S OCEANS!”

Arqua fell to you once more. 

Your Nexomon showed no sign of turning on you.

Next, you were in clouds. Tornados swirled all around you. 

“I WILL CLEAR THE SKIES OF OUR NEW WORLD WITH VENTRA’S WINGS!”

Slowly, you became aware of a black void opening itself behind Omnicron.

Ventra fell.

The world changed again. You were atop a mountain.

“I WILL SMITE ULZAR’S CURSED BRETHREN WITH LUXA’S LIGHTNING!”

“Give it a rest, dude, I’ve already beat three of your kids. This has GOT to be child abuse.” You mused, defeating Luxa again. 

The terrain changed, and you were back on the pillar from before. While you were battling, all your allies had managed to teleport themselves onto the pillar with you. 

“My own brethren… why do you forsake your king…? Why have you chosen this RAT as your master?” He growled, especially eyeing Kitsnuox. “We are the true rulers of this world! We are meant to conquer this land!”

“You are, by far, the most annoying Nexomon I’ve ever met.” You groaned, stretching out again. “Hey, Hilda, what’s the deal with that chance you told me about?”

“You must still defeat the King of Monsters, but that path grows ever clearer.” She smiled. 

Omnicron shook the platform, drawing your attention back to him. “I am tired of this absurdity. Watch how feeble your efforts are as I devour your world!” 

“Kitsunox. Felicient. Arctivore. Carnagrius. Prismazor. Luhava.” You listed off. 

“Beat. His. Ass.”

The world shook as the battle of the ages began. Your Nexomon swarmed Omnicron, trading blows with devastating power and accuracy. He roared, shaking them off and trying to swat them like flies, but it was no use. They were too fast, too strong, and too smart.

Omnicron fell.

“Heed my words, Champion of Mankind…” He hissed as he collapsed to the floor. “So long as my Nexomon cover your world, I can never truly die…”

The pillar began to shake, collapsing from the stress of the battle.

“Everyone, go!” You shrieked. One by one they all teleported away, grabbing each other. You fought them all off, adamantly refusing to leave your Nexomon behind.

You all fell, too tired from the battle for even Luhava to try to catch you.

“The punishment…” You murmured, watching the stars grow farther and farther away. You closed your eyes. “I’m sorry, everyone.”

Soft grass met your back, and the sun shined through the trees. You opened your eyes, as did all of your Nexomon. 

In front of you stood Deena, eyes closed and glowing with a green light.

Slowly, her eyes opened. “Don’t worry. You’re safe here. You did it!” She smiled, running at you for a hug. You swept her up in your arms, confused but happy.

“Am I dead?”

“Nope!” She dropped back down and released you. “I do have to ask you a question, though… Humans and Nexomon, are they meant to live together?”

You nodded cautiously. “We’ve lived together for over a millenia. I see no reason for that to stop.”

“Of course!” She nodded, taking a few steps back. “That’s what I think, as well. Did you know one of Omnicron’s Children believed in that, too?”

You thought back to your history lessons. “Nara, the Betrayer. Or rather, Nara the Savior. Omnicron’s… fourth child?”

“Nara of the Forest. She refused to fight humans during the Old War, and Omnicron disowned her for it. No one has seen her for 1000 years. But… she never changed her opinion…”

“Deena…?” You asked, confused. 

In front of your eyes, she transformed into a great beast. “You have done well, brethren of Ulzar’s. Omnicron has been banished from this realm, and I vow to watch over his slumber for all eternity… My family will never return to your realm, and you shall be remembered in legend. I shall treasure this memory for millenia to come. Farewell, my human friend!”

“Deena, woah, woah, wait, hang on a minute.” You held your hands out. “There has to be another way to end this. All I did was re-banish Omnicron, he’ll just find another way to come back!”

“I am sorry, my friend… there is no way for you to follow us… Simply rejoice, and enjoy your peace. Your battle is over.” She leaned down despite your cries, and touched your forehead.

You woke up in your bedroom.

The clock read 7:30am.

Much too early to be awake by any sane Nexolord’s standards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What will you do now?


	12. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you hatch the beginnings of a plan, and become tangled in something rather... unfortunate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Arc 2 of the story! This is the expansion from Nexomon 1. After this, there will be a brief interlude, and then I will begin Nexomon: Extinction! Hope you're ready for the long haul ;3

You bolted out of bed. Well, tried to. You were right about being sore, and the second you tried to sit up you flopped right back down. With incredible effort, you managed to get up and take a shower. How you’d gotten to your house after talking with Deena was a mystery.

You got dressed again and walked downstairs, to get something to eat. Your parents spent most of your breakfast bitching you out for not being so reckless, but you just let it all wash over you. 

You were still coming to terms with the fact that you’d lost everyone, and that you were still alive. This was uncharted territory, and you’d need to ask Hilda about it. She’d said there was a chance you’d be able to get everyone out of this alive, and hopefully you were on that path, but there was really no way to tell yet. 

Eventually, your parents wore themselves out yelling at you when it was clear you weren’t even paying attention. 

“Y/N, you should go to the basement. Dr. Margo and Dr. Winston have something for you.” Your mom said, laying a hand on your shoulder. You nodded, finishing the last of your meal. 

Numbly, you walked downstairs to greet the scientists. They were chatting over a large machine with an archway on its side. 

“Oh, good, you’re finally awake! We just put the finishing touches on her. Isn’t she a beaut?” Dr. Winston grinned, waving his hand at the machine.

You dipped your head slightly. “It looks great, but I don’t know what it is.”

Dr. Margo lightly slapped Dr. Winston’s shoulder. “Idiot, you can’t expect them to know what it is on sight. It’s the first of it’s kind, after all.” She turned back to you, smiling. “This is a portal generator. Specifically, to the Netherworld. You can go in there and defeat Omnicron once and for all!”

Your mind went blank. If Omnicron was in there, so was everyone else. You swallowed thickly and nodded. “What… what are we waiting for?”

“You, of course!” She smiled.

“Are you afraid, young Nexolord?” Dr. Winston teased.

You shrugged. Atlas had other opinions. “You’re sending us to hell to fight a demon king and his demon kids.”

“You must, or else Omnicron will simply rise again. You have to destroy his soul.” Dr. Margo stated, as simply as if it were fact.

You took a slow breath and nodded, already building your plan. It was risky, and it was almost certain to fail, but you had to try. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Woah woah woah, wait a minute, why can’t the Overseers go? Aren’t they our minions or whatever now?” Atlas asked, looking up at you.

Before you could answer and say you wanted to go yourself, Dr. Winston cut in. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to locate any of your friends since your last battle. When we find them, though, we’ll send them your way. Now, please step on the platform so we may get started.”

You walked up the metal stairs and onto the machine, taking off your backpack and holding it to your chest defensively. Your six closest allies, Ellie and Atlas aside, were safely stowed away in there.

“Now, we aren’t sure exactly where Omnicron’s soul is, so you’ll have to do some exploring. But don’t worry, we made sure you’ll land in a relatively safe location. Oh, and one last thing, sorry!” She said, quickly pulling you off the platform. “There are no stores in the Netherworld, so you should stock up before you leave.”

You opened your backpack, checking what was left inside. “I think I’m good. I over-prepared for that fight with Omnicron, I think.”

“Alright, as long as you’re sure. Then please, step back on the platform.”

You did as instructed and waited. Just before your world flashed, you realized you never asked them how they knew what was inside the Netherworld.

When your vision returned, you were on a large floating rock covered with pastel green grass, sparkling crystals, and the most beautiful plants you’d ever seen in your life.

Atlas rolled off the platform, marvelling at the scenery just as much as you. “At least we made it in one piece! Hey, did you notice Dr. Margo and Dr. Winston were rushing really fast? I guess they’re terrified of the idea of Omnicron returning…”

You hummed noncommittally and started moving forward.

“Oh, and if we need to go back, I should be able to teleport us back! The Dr.s gave me some upgrades while you were asleep.” Atlas grinned, trailing just behind you.

One of the sparkling rocks up ahead caught your eye. “Atlas, is that Nexomite?”

He scanned it and nodded. “Yes! Should we take it? It’ll sell for a lot top-side, and my sensors are picking up a lot more down here.”

“I guess so.” You shrugged, reaching down to dig it out of the ground. You carried on until you found a large barrier. “What is this?”

You pressed your hand against it and moved through easily, but your backpack got caught. No matter how hard you tried to pull it through, it wouldn’t budge. Eventually, you gave up and passed back through the barrier.

“Weird… it won’t let your backpack through.” Atlas tilted his head.

Rapid footsteps sounded from your left and you had just enough time to brace yourself before Deena pounced on you again.

“It’s because of your Nexomon! Also hi! I can’t believe you’re here!” She squealed, bouncing you up and down again. 

You melted into her, laughing and hugging her back as tight as you could. You’d really thought you would never see her again, so to actually find her in the Netherworld was majorly relieving. 

“I missed you so much! It’s super boring in here.” Deena giggled, finally letting you go and holding you at arm’s length so she could get a good look at you. “You look tired! What happened after I sent you back home?”

“Oh, Y/N slept for three days straight. They just woke up!” Atlas replied. 

You flushed and laughed. “Yeah, I was… pretty exhausted.”

“Aww, poor thing! Come on, let’s get you and your Nexomon to the camp! We’ll have you healthy in no time!”

You walked alongside Deena, appreciating the scenery. “Hey, what’s up with the outfit change, by the way?”

“Oh! I’m a Nexomon tamer now!” She grinned, producing her own Nexotrap.

“Nice! I’m proud of you!” You pulled her in for a side-hug. Bring together again like this made you want to spill your plan to her, but you had no idea if Deena would take it well.

She continued to talk as she led you to camp. “I’m guessing you’re here to destroy Father Omnicron’s soul? Y’know, you’re not the first person to try it. All the people down here tried, failed, and got trapped for it. This whole place is like a giant prison, and that barrier you found is one of the first gates.”

“Yeah, you said it was because of my Nexomon?”

“Yep! They need to be super strong to get through, and the only way to do that is to go through a rebirthing ritual! All your Nexomon will revert to their first forms, but they’ll get way stronger way faster than before!”

You pulled Kitsunox’s trap out of your bag and let him out. He looked around the Netherworld, confusion passing over his features for a second. 

“Deena says you have to go through a ritual to get into the Netherworld. Sound good to you? It’ll make you stronger in the long run, too.” You explained.

Kitsunox seemed… hesitant, to say the least. You glanced down at Atlas, an idea forming in your head. 

“Deena, would it be possible to only rebirth five members of my team?”

She twisted her mouth, thinking. “I mean, you wouldn’t be able to take that last member across the barrier, but there’s nothing against it. Why?”

“I think I’ll keep Luhava, rebirth everyone else, and then grind them all up in the Frozen Tundra. Then, I’ll come back and rebirth Luhava, get him back up to full strength, and go through.”

Deena started to giggle, confusing you. “Oh, there’s a whole area of weak Nexomon just past the barrier you can fight!”

You tossed the idea around in your head, then came to a decision. “Nah, I think I’ll do it my way. I got the exp share and multiplier equipped for my team, and I think it’ll just be faster to have Luhava beat up the Nexomon in the Tundra for a while.”

“Suit yourself!” She shrugged, approaching a small house. “Hey, Miriam!”

A woman who looked nothing short of a moon goddess walked out of the front door. “Oh, Nara, is this the new Nexolord you were walking about? The one with the spinning problem?”

“That would be me.” You nodded, holding a hand up.

“My, how impressive. She told me you got your first Nexomon the morning you fought Omnicron. Truly, a feat to be able to raise your Nexomon to that kind of strength so quickly.” She smiled. “I am sure Deena has told you about all those who have taken this same journey as you and failed?”

You nodded, then paused for a second. How had they all gotten into the Netherworld without that portal generator?

Miriam gave you no time to ask your question, immediately launching into a speech about the rebirthing ritual.

Finally, she finished, and by then you’d forgotten your question. How unfortunate.

“Would it be possible for me to only rebirth these five Nexomon?” You asked, holding out four traps and then pointing to Kitsunox.

“Certainly, but why five? Don’t you want your whole team?” Miriam asked, confused.

You shook your head. “I told Deena, I want to keep Luhava as strong as he is now so I can fight Nexomon in the Frozen Tundra until they’re all back to full strength.”

“Such an interesting person…” She hummed, then nodded. “That is doable. Please, release the Nexomon you wish to rebirth.”

Carnagrius, Arctivore, Felicient, and Prismazor all appeared from their traps, looking around with the same confusion Kitsunox has just displayed. Miriam gathered them all up and brought them inside her house, telling you and Atlas to stay put. 

You waited for a minute, taking the time to marvel at the world. It was truly beautiful, and you felt you would never tire of looking at it.

When Miriam finally opened her door again, all your Nexomon came rushing out. You giggled, seeing them all toddle their way over, unused to being so small again.

You picked up Vulazy and placed him on your shoulders, returning the rest to their traps and promising the next time you brought them out they would be back to normal.

“Ready to go back Atlas?” You asked. He nodded and grabbed your hand. “I’ll be back! Thank you for everything Miriam!”

“It’s no problem. Be careful, young Nexolord.” 

Her smile was the last thing you saw before you were back in your own basement. You ran to the nearest Warp Totem and headed for the Frozen Tundra for some serious grinding.

You spent hours fighting with Luhava, watching all your Nexomon level up on Atlas’ display. One by one they slowly returned to their fully-grown forms. A quick glance at their stts proved that Miriam and Deena had been telling the truth. They’d been beefy before, but this? This was outright insane. Not to mention Luhava was also levelling up with all the damage he was dealing. It almost felt like a waste to revert him to such a low level, but if it meant he would become even stronger, you would do it.

Finally, Kitsunox was once more standing at your side. You allowed him to spar with Luhava, just to test his own strength. He one-shot the gigantic owl, forcing you to return Luhava to its Nexotrap. 

“Woah. I guess you’re ready.” You chuckled. He was easily 30 levels below Luhava, and yet he’d taken it out with ease.

You and Atlas made your way back to the Netherworld, and you finally rebirthed Luhava. However, when he came back out of her house, he was still a massive owl. But the reading on Atlas’ display proved that he was indeed level five again. You tucked him safely back into your bag, figuring that the rest of the party was strong enough to carry him for a while in the Netherworld until he levelled up a bit.

With that, you passed through the barrier and deeper into the unknown.

“I still can’t contact Ellie or anyone else…” Atlas complained. Deena tilted her head. “They can’t expect us to fight Omnicron alone!” 

“It’s definitely weird that you can’t find them…” Deena said. “But we’ll worry about that later. The camp’s just up ahead!”

Plenty of people looked up as you entered the camp, smiling and waving. You couldn’t tell how old anyone was, but you felt in your gut that they’d been here for a long time. You stopped at the healer, although the only thing wrong was that Kitsunox had taken a scratch from a particularly fast Kindala. It had only been level 3, but you didn’t feel like wasting a potion if you didn’t have to.

“Welcome, tamer! Are you here to defeat Omnicron?” Someone asked, walking up beside you.

You nodded, looking around as everyone else gathered. “Yep. Got any tips for a newbie?”

“Omnicron and all his children are held in the Chasm!”

“It was built by Master Ulzar to contain them!”

“It’s directly to the North of this camp.”

“The shopkeep is out, so I hope you brought items.”

You looked up at that last one, confused. “I thought there weren’t shops in the Netherworld.”

“Who told you that?”

“The scientists who helped me get here. Speaking of, how did you all get here?”

“Most of us were transported by spirit guides. Deena told us all about your adventure, so if I had to guess… Overseers Hilda or Khan would’ve been the closest to how we got here!”

Eventually, they all dispersed after giving you all the information they’d learned from their attempts. 

“To the north, then?” You asked, looking over at Deena. She nodded and gave you a thumbs up. When you left camp, though, you were greeted with an eerily familiar scene.

A cat, back heavy with supplies, being chased by a Monkapow.

“Atlas? You seein’ this shit?” You asked, looking down at him. He just groaned.

You let out a sharp whistle, drawing its attention away from the black-and-white cat in the same way you’d drawn the Monkapow from Ron. It charged you, and you held Kitsunox back until it was nearly on top of you.

He lunged at the monkey, scaring it off easily.

“You alright?” You called out, slowly approaching the cat. 

“Y-you saved me!! Thank you!!” She mewed, racing up to you. “Please, take this!”

She handed you a Golden Nexotrap. You eyed it boredly, chucking it in with the other 20 you’d accumulated during your mad dash to save the world. 

“I’m Molly, the Netherworld’s finest merchant!” She said proudly. “I own shops in all the camps in the Netherworld!”

“How did you even get here?” Atlas asked.

She face turned sour at that and she pouted. “Shh! It’s a trade secret! I’ve gotta go now, but please stop by sometime! And thank you again!”

You watched her run back to camp for a moment before looking at Atlas. You both spoke at the same time.

“That must’ve been Ron’s daughter!”

“There’s no way that’s Ron’s daughter.” 

You paused, snorting. “Really? You think Ron would let his kids give away stuff for free? I’m not buying it.”

You all continued north, eventually coming to a bridge between two floating rocks. On the other side was a cloaked figure wearing a mask. You stared at each other for a moment, you waiting for the mysterious figure to speak.

“Uh… hello? Who are you?” Atlas asked, breaking the silence.

“...You may call me Ziegler. You must be the current Nexolord.” He said, looking at you. It felt like he was looking through you.

You nodded, not breaking eye contact. Kitsunox was growling beside you, buy you couldn’t figure out why. “I am.”

“Why is the current Nexolord straying so far from safety?”

“We’re here to destroy Omnicron’s soul!” Atlas replied cheerily.

Ziegler seemed to contemplate this for a minute. “Why? The King of Monsters is restrained. There is no need. Turn back, Nexolord, and never return.”

You narrowed your eyes, taking a half-step back and widening your stance. “If we don’t defeat him now, he’ll just return again. Someone needs to break the cycle.”

“You lack the strength to do so. Begone.” 

“You can’t make us!” Atlas yelled, crossing his arms.

A deathly laugh arose from Ziegler. He began to grow in size until he was bodily blocking the entrance. “You  _ will  _ turn around, and you  _ will  _ never return.”

The ground started to shake and you grabbed Atlas, backing off of the bridge to the other platform. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“But--!”

You didn’t allow Atlas to say anything else, turning and running with Kitsunox back to the camp. “Well. That didn’t work. I don’t suppose we could find a different way around?”

“Oh! I thought you were giving up!” Atlas laughed nervously.

You wandered the area around town until you found a cave. Thinking back, you remembered seeing a cave just beyond where Ziegler had been. Perhaps they were connected.

Atlas pulled you aside as you explored the cave, and out of earshot of Deena. “Have you noticed everything in here seems… off? The scientists and Overseers are nowhere to be found, I can’t contact Ellie, and even Deena seems weird!”

You nodded slightly, watching her. “I have, but I’ve also never been here before. There’s a lot about Deena that we don’t know. But I’ll keep an eye out.”

You and Atlas caught up to Deena, who was inspecting a Nexomite crystal. You tossed it in your bag and carried on.

Straight into Ziegler.

“Oh, come on!” Atlas yelled.

“You cannot escape my gaze, Nexolord.”

“First of all, I’m not the Nexolord. James didn’t pass me the title and I didn’t beat him for it. You can say I’m a Nexolord in the same way Ulzar is, but that would just mean there’s two Nexolords now.” You rolled your shoulders. They were getting sore from carrying the backpack again.

“Hey, wait a minute!” Atlas pouted. “We already defeated Omnicron! This guy can’t stop us!”

Abruptly, a ring of ethereal flame surrounded you all. Where the hooded figure had once stood, there was now a ghostly Nexomon wielding a ring of keys.

“Oh. Uh. Maybe he can. I’ve never seen a Nexomon like this, be careful!” Atlas cried, hiding behind your leg. Deena, for some reason, was nowhere to be found. When had she disappeared?

“You are unworthy of the title of Nexolord.” Ziegler hissed. Atlas, displaying the results of his scan, revealed that he had a health of 9999. Far above any Nexomon you’d faced before.

“Kitsunox, get behind me.” You growled. He whined, but you just got in front of him anyway.

A blinding flash of light appeared at the center of the field, and suddenly Deena was back. “That’s enough, Ziegler!”

“Oh, what an unexpected turn of events…” He mused, staring at Deena now. You were thankful for the break in eye contact.

“You can’t fight both of us. Back off!” She growled. You’d never seen this side of Deena before.

That horrid laughter sounded again. “You are wrong, Nara. I could destroy you both in the blink of an eye. But we are too old to indulge in such senseless violence, aren’t we?”

She swallowed, holding her ground and continuing to glare.

“All I ask is that you keep your little human friend away from the Chasm.” With that, he faded into nothingness.

“What the hell was that thing, Deena?! How does it know you?!” You yelled, running up to her and checking her over. “Are you hurt?!”

“I’m fine! That was one of the Wardens. They restrain the prisoners in the Chasm.”

“Then what is that one doing here???” Atlas whined, still clutching your leg. You eyes widened just a fraction.

Deena shrugged, looking puzzled. “I’m… not sure. It might be that he doesn’t have a prisoner, so he’s just guarding the Chasm itself. All the Wardens are super powerful so they can contain my father and siblings.”

You looked down at Atlas, then at Deena, and finally at Kitsunox. Making a decision, you turned to Kitsunox.

“Hey… when I let you out inside the Netherworld… were you confused because you didn’t know where you were?”

“What?” Deena asked, looking over at you.

Barely, just barely, Kitsunox shook his head ‘no.’

How unfortunate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What could Kitsunox have been so confused about?


	13. A Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you learn a bit more about the Netherworld, and encounter some familiar faces.

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ve just got some… suspicions.” You said, waving your hand around. Deena seemed to shrug it off. “Let’s just keep heading north.”

You escaped the cave and took off for the North, eventually passing into an area that looked more like the world you were familiar with. The ground was green and grassy instead of teal, and the trees looked like normal trees. 

“Oh, good, we’re at my maze!” Deena grinned, running ahead and spreading her arms out. “Whatcha think? Pretty smart, right? You can’t get to the Chasm without passing through the maze, and if anyone broke out, they’d have to solve the maze to get out! It buys the Wardens time to get their prisoners back.”

You nodded, looking around. Really, you were still feeling a bit numb. You’d killed them all. You hadn’t meant to, and you could justify it away as much as you liked that it was either Omnicron and his kids or you, but that didn’t change the fact that you’d killed them all. You hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye, and if your suspicions were correct, you might never see them again at all.

“Lead the way, Deena!” Atlas called out, smiling. 

“Sure thing! It’s… uh… this… way?” She said, stopping.

You chuckled softly and put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine, we’ve got plenty of time to solve it ourselves.”

She gave an embarrassed laugh and nodded. “Sorry, I guess I made it a little  _ too  _ well.”

You meandered through the maze, memorizing pairs of teleporters until finally you made it to a statue of Nara. In front of it was Ulzar. 

“Hey blondie, guess who’s Nexomon didn’t turn on them? Sure is a shame you didn’t befriend Nara here.” You gloated, pulling her in front of you by the shoulders. You noticed her face turn bright pink as she giggled.

“...Greetings…” He said, choosing to ignore you. “I assume you’re here to destroy Omnicron’s soul?”

“Something like that. Gonna try to tell me to not trust my Nexomon again?”

“Yes, but I assume Deena will be assisting you this time as well, so instead I will tell you about the Wardens. They are extremely powerful creatures, and they will protect their prisoners for millenia to come. They cannot exist without them.”

You thought about that for a moment. “I have no qualms murdering Ziegler to get to Omnicron.”

“Yeah, what’s up with Ziegler? He doesn’t have a prisoner!” Deena complained.

Ulzar nodded. “He is quite the enigma.”

You rolled your eyes. “I might get in trouble for this, but I’m pretty sure he does have a prisoner.”

“What?” Ulzar asked, eyes flashing.

You shrugged. “I’ve got a working theory that I’m his prisoner, but that’s about it right now. I dunno, just a guess.”

Beside you, Kitsunox was nodding furiously. 

“I doubt it. It is far more likely that his prisoner has escaped and just happened to be in the same area.” Ulzar replied.

You shrugged. “If that’s true he’s a shitty Warden. He spent an awful long time road-blocking me instead of hunting down his missing prisoner.”

Deena giggled. “I mean, I don’t remember seeing him here before, so he might be a new Warden. We’ll probably see him again near the Chasm.”

You hummed thoughtfully, looking over at Kitsunox. You wanted to get away from everyone else and ask him more questions, but that didn’t seem to be happening any time soon. “Think you can take him if we train a bit more?”

He yipped in the affirmative. 

“I will help you as best I can, but my strength…  _ fades  _ against those things.” Ulzar said, disappearing again.

“Why does he keep doing that? We’re in the Netherworld, he should be fine as a ghost.” You griped, moving through the last teleporter. It spat you out just below another camp.

On the left edge of the camp, you could see a bridge made of black stone. “Ooh, is that the Chasm?”

“The start of it!” Deena supplied. “This is the last camp before we get in there, so we should probably stock up.”

“You seem nervous. Are you alright?” Atlas asked as you walked into the store. Molly waved from behind the counter.

Deena flinched at the question. “Well… heh… they don’t really like me over there, what with being Omnicron’s daughter and all…”

“If anyone tries to imprison you I’ll send the entire time after them.” You said simply, nabbing some high-quality revives and potions. “With how strong Kistunox is getting in here, I might only need to send him.”

The people inside this camp were more battle hardened, talking about how they’d all created this camp with the express purpose of guarding the gates of the Chasm. If anything tried to get out, they would be the first line of defense.

Finally, you were ready to leave. The atmosphere on the other side of the gate was completely different. 

Black stone, burnt grass, and a pit of lava below. 

“This place is certainly welcoming.” You teased at Kitsunox. He seemed to have gotten a little more relaxed since when you first let him out in here, but was still very clearly on edge. The more you thought about your little theory, the more you understood why.

Deena suddenly stopped you on the path to the castle looming ahead. “Wait, something’s coming!”

You squinted ahead, trying to make out any movement. The heat was warping the air, so you couldn’t have really seen anything even if you wanted to. “ _ What’s _ coming?”

Four flashes of light later and you regretted asking. The Justice Knights (minus their leader, Red), were standing in your way.

“Come on!” Atlas complained.

“Did the scientists send you to help us?” You asked, wondering how they’d gotten in here at such a drastically different location than you.

“The Chasm is a bastion of evil!”

“Those who step inside it are forever tainted!”

“Only the wicked and foul enter this place!”

“There is no Justice here! Turn back and never return!”

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Whoever these guys are, they aren’t the Justice Knights. Honestly, they sound a bit like Ziegler. And they didn’t answer my question.”

“Yeah, aren’t they missing a member?” Atlas added, head tilting.

“He resigned…”

“Just because we’re 40, he wanted us to ‘act like adults’!”

You paused, eyes narrowing. “What the fuck? Okay, I definitely don’t think they’re real now.”

“No, no, that might be true…” Atlas hummed.

“Anyway!”

“Just because you’re the Nexolord doesn’t mean you’re strong enough to survive the Chasm!”

“I’m not the Nexolord. I didn’t beat James, and he didn’t pass the title.” You deadpanned. You refused to take the title without beating him. It felt… it felt like... acceptance... That he was... dead.

“I mean, you beat Omnicron. That’s how Ulzar became the Nexolord.” Deena said, shrugging. 

“I don’t want to follow that hack’s footsteps. He doesn’t trust his Nexomon.” You shook your head. “Even if Kitsunox had turned on me when we fought Omnicron, I would’ve just had to get him to aim at both us. I would’ve accepted dying with Omnicron to save everyone.”

“You are such a downer.” Atlas groaned.

You shrugged.

“ANYWAY.” The Justice Knights started up again.

“There is a greater darkness within the Chasm than you can imagine!”

“This is the final destination for all evildoers!”

“Which is why you must leave!”

“No-can-do, I’ve got a second meeting with the big blue bitch himself.” Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Kitsunox holding up three fingers. Interesting.

“There is no need!”

“Nothing can escape the Chasm!”

“But if you defeat the Wardens, he could!”

Your eyes widened just a fraction. “Oh? What’s that? I should go defeat the Wardens?”

“No!” All four yelled in unison. They charged you.

“I think I’m gonna let Felicient handle this one.” You said, dropping her into the fight. She effortlessly destroyed each of the Knights’ teams, and then knocked them to the floor as well. Y’know. For good measure.

“Who’s a pretty kitty? Who’s the best kitty in the world? You are! You are!” You crooned as she showed off, nose high in the air. She balanced on her back legs to share a high-five with Kitsunox. “Y’know what? Fuck it, you’re staying out too. The more the merrier.”

And the more information you could glean from them about what had  _ apparently  _ happened during your second encounter with Omnicron, which you’d  _ apparently  _ forgotten.

Or rather, that you’d been forced to forget.

The Justice Knights disappeared in more flashes of light, and then you continued on.

“Y’know, they did have a point, even if they weren’t real.” Deena said. “If you defeat the Wardens, you HAVE to destroy Omnicron’s soul. Otherwise, he’ll just go back to your world again.”

You felt a small knot forming in your gut. Probably best not to dwell on it right now. Not when you were still trying to figure out your own escape plan.

You finally made it to the front of the castle. Up close, you had a sudden realization. “Hey, doesn’t this look like…?” You glanced over at Kistunox, who nodded. “It’s… not what I expected.”

This time, Felicient nodded. 

The castle was oddly reminiscent of the Nexolord’s Tower, and when you stepped inside the similarities only grew. They were almost carbon copies of each other, save for the fire and brimstone that made up this one.

Ulzar was waiting for you just inside. 

“What does it look like?” Deena asked, walking in behind you.

“The Nexolord’s Tower.” You murmured.

She looked around, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess it does. Hey, Ulzar, why’s it like this?”

He turned around, a puzzled look on his face. “I’m not sure.”

This time, Deena was the suspicious one. “But… you  _ built  _ this place.”

He huffed. “It doesn’t matter right now. Follow me. I’ll show you the gate that holds Omnicron’s soul.”

You followed him up through the Chasm, making careful note of everything inside. The longer you were down here, the more you felt like you were forgetting things. You needed to make sure this place didn’t start warping and  _ really  _ trapping you inside. 

Deena huffed angrily to herself. “ _ I _ don’t remember this place looking like this.”

Ulzar stopped in front of the doors. They were positively massive, and you doubted you’d be able to open them yourself. 

“These gates lead to the Heart of the Netherworld.”

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!” Atlas yelled, punching his palm. It was oddly adorable, and you wondered just how much you’d warped his personality from spending all that time with him. Ellie probably didn’t intend him to be so… bloodthirsty.

“Not so fast. All the Wardens would come obliterate us before we could even get the door open. We’ll have to find them and destroy them separately.” Ulzar scolded. Atlas looked… crestfallen, or as least as crestfallen as one could look when they’re told they can’t commit regicide just yet.

“Not to mention we gotta get the rest of the Children first.” You added.

“Luckily, we can kill two birds with one stone in that regard. Each of the Wardens holds one of the Children prisoner. Follow me. Oh, and one more thing…” He said, turning around suddenly. “Do NOT touch the gate, unless you want to find out what it’s like to die by the Wardens’ hands.”

You held your hands up, annoyed. 

He led everyone into a side chamber. Inside it were three gates, each connected to a portal. Each gate had an elemental symbol. Mineral, Water, Fire.

“Each of these altars contains one of the Wardens and one of the Children of Omnicron. We must defeat the Wardens, and then I will banish the Children to the Vortex.”

You inhaled sharply, but Kitsunox was quick to put a paw on your shoulder. He practically dragged you from the room. Felicient hissed when the others tried to follow, guarding the doorway.

When you were a safe distance, he stopped and released you. “What the  _ hell  _ is going on?!” You hissed, eyes darting back towards the door. “I don’t want them banished! I’m trying to save them!”

Kitsunox nodded.

“What do you mean ‘yes’?!”

He nodded again. 

“What, are they already safe?”

He shook his head ‘no.’

“What? Do I need to save them or not?!”

He shook his head.

“I don’t need to save them, but they’re not safe either?”

He nodded.

“This is infinitely more confusing, I hope you understand that. Alright, so I  _ don’t  _ need to save the Children inside these altars? You’re sure?”

He nodded. 

You sighed. “Alright… I guess. Thank you, Kitsunox. I’m sorry I don’t remember anything.”

He patted your shoulder, then you returned to the side room Ulzar and the others were waiting in. 

“Everything alright?” Deena asked, worried.

You nodded. “Yeah, just… stressed. Kitsunox was calming me down so I didn’t have a panic attack.”

It was believable, considering everyone in this room had only known you for a day. Well, four days, but you’d been passed out for three of those.

“Excellent… Thank you, Kitsunox.” Ulzar said. You were very tempted to slap him for thanking the Nexomon he’d implied would tear you to shreds against your first fight with Omnicron. “Now, I will let you choose who you wish to meet after, but we should visit the weakest Champion first, to show you the ropes.”

“Ha, Merida.” You chuckled. “She really can’t get a break, can she? Bad at volleyball, bad as sinking ships, bad at being a Champion. I feel a little bad for her.”

You all passed through the teleporter and appeared on a sandy beach. “Ooh, reminds me of Palmaya.”

“What is this place?” Atlas asked, looking around.

“This is what we call a Nightmare. Wardens use the memories of their prisoners to construct false worlds. This way, prisoners never realize they are trapped and never try to escape. The people and places you see here are all fakes...”

Whatever Ulzar said after that, you couldn’t say. You were staring at Kitsunox, who was gesturing violently at Ulzar.

“...like Inception--” Atlas said

“You’re shitting me.” You interrupted.

“Pardon?” Ulzar asked, looking over at you. 

“You’re shitting me, Kitsunox.” You repeated, staring him down. He shook his head. You turned to look at Ulzar, Deena, and Atlas. “I’m gonna murder Ziegler when I find him.”

Deena looked confused. Or, rather, fake!Deena looked confused. “Duh? You have to defeat him to fight Omnicron?”

Your eyes glittered dangerously, but you didn’t respond. “Let’s go. I’m done wasting time here.”

You raced through the Nightmare’s terrain with Kitsunox and Felicient, ignoring the others’ requests to slow down. You’d felt sore when you woke up, but as soon as you’d crossed the threshold into the Netherworld that pain had mysteriously disappeared. You hadn’t thought anything of it, and honestly hadn’t even really realized. You were too awe-struck by the scenery to think about something as simple as ‘ _ weird, my legs don’t hurt anymore _ .’

You found Nightmerida and came to a screeching halt, staring at her and waiting for something to happen.

“Can I help you? Are you looking for an autograph?”

You continued to stare at her, wondering if anything you’d seen before was real. Could other people get trapped in a Nightmare? Were Atlas, Deena, and Ulzar actually real, and just stuck in here with you?

“Sorry, I have to get back to my practice! I’ll sign your shirt later!” Merida yelled as she took off. You didn’t bother trying to stop her.

“She didn’t even recognize us!” Atlas gasped. 

Deena looked pale. “That’s the power of the Wardens. The prisoner will eventually forget their entire past and accept their life here. If Merida’s here, the Warden is bound to be nearby. Be careful!”

“Oh I’ll be careful alright.” You growled to yourself. “Careful not to leave behind a body.”

Any leftover sadness you’d felt when you found out that killing Omnicron had also killed the 5 Children had melted away into blistering fury. You were quickly putting a lot of pieces together, much to Kitsunox and Felicient’s relief. 

If this place was based on your memories, that meant you’d done all this before. You’d freed all the Children, and probably Omnicron, from their Nightmares. But something had to have gone wrong, and now you were trapped in here in their stead.

You almost felt flattered, realizing just how many Wardens were working to keep you here.

Almost.

You started walking again, hands itching at your sides for a Nexomon battle. These Wardens had messed with the wrong human.

Before you could find Merida again, you came across a different familiar face.

“Bryce?” Atlas asked. He turned around, startled. 

“How do you know my name?”

Deena started waving her hands at Atlas. “No, no! He’s not your Bryce! He’s a fake, remember?”

“You kids… you’re not from this world, are you?” Bryce asked. You tilted your head, working out another quirk of the Nightmare. It seemed like some people got higher priority than others. The Justice Knights had felt like cardboard cutouts, yet this Bryce was easily able to see through you just like in the real world. Was he trapped in here with you, too, or just another fake?

“Correct.” You replied, wanting to test something. “I’m a real person. You’re a fake, created by this Nightmare.”

He seemed to take that in stride, though his face paled a bit. “Ah. I see…”

“This world is an illusion. We’re going to destroy it, and then destroy the Child of Omnicron inside of it.”

He pondered this for another moment, then nodded. “I’ll help you.”

“What?! Why?!” Atlas yelled.

“I don’t want to be trapped in some Nightmare! I’m sure the real Bryce would feel the same way.”

And so, Bryce joined your party. You trekked with him until Ulzar stopped everyone.

“She’s here. Show yourself, Warden of Merida!” He shouted.

The Warden appeared in front of you all. She looked exactly the same as Ziegler had before he transformed, but her robes were a light blue where his had been grey.

“You do not belong here. Begone. I seek you no harm.”

“Yeah yeah bullshit, you’re getting your ass kicked and then I’m leaving. Prismazor, take care of her!”

“To defy a Warden is an unforgivable crime, young Nexolord. You will pay for your insolence.” Her tone was neutral, but she still transformed into her true form. Merida’s Warden reminded you a bit of Arqua, surprisingly. 

“Give up now, Darine!” Deena yelled as a final warning. 

You tried to suppress your laughter. There was no way in  _ hell  _ she would just let you go.

Prismazor attacked her with a ferocity you’d never seen in him before. You imagined it was because this was his second time fighting her, and now he was fighting with everyone else to break out of this fake world.  _ Your  _ fake world.

Darine fell, transforming back to her humanoid form. “You fool! We are keeping YOUR world safe! You will unleash your own demise, Nexolord!”

“Still not the Nexolord yet.” You said as she disappeared. Ulzar looked over at you, confused. You just glared at him until Deena explained what you’d told her earlier.

“...Interesting. You realize you will never fight him, correct?”

“Oh, I’m gonna fight him. I’m gonna kick his ass.” You said, cracking your knuckles for effect.

He sighed and continued forward. “We need to remove Merida from this Nightmare, or that Warden will be able to recover.”

“If you say so.” You sighed, shooting your Nexomon a glance. Prismazor mimicked you and rolled his eyes.

Bryce lingered behind, looking around at the world. “So, if that’s the Warden that created this place, I’ll disappear soon, too…”

“Doubtful, but it could happen. I’m still working out the kinks in my theory.” You shrugged.

“Your… theory?”

“I know for a fact that I’m the real prisoner here, and that this is my Nightmare. So there’s a good chance you won’t disappear until I defeat ALL of the Wardens. But, if they’re smart, they’ll destroy these worlds as I take out the Wardens. Speaking of, I probably didn’t even take her out for real.”

“W-what?!” Bryce asked, now jogging to keep up. “You? The prisoner?!”

“Keep it down, brainiac, or someone’s going to hear you. I don’t want this going up the chain of command.” You lightly pushed his shoulder and laughed. 

“You seem awfully confident for someone who knows they’re trapped in a Nightmare!”

“Well yeah, duh. I’m the one that put Omnicron down here. I probably got him out, too, if Kitsunox is right.”

Ulzar and Merida were already talking when you and Bryce caught up. She glared at you. “You! I remember now!”

“Hiiii Nightmerida~” You teased, blowing a kiss her way. “Miss me?”

“Ha, Nightmerida!” Deena giggled.

You knew for a fact that this wasn’t the real Merida, based on how angry she was. You definitely hadn’t gotten along with her, but there wasn’t this level of animosity. But…

“Merida. We have destroyed the Warden of this Nightmare. I will send your soul back to the Vortex.” Ulzar said.

“Woah, woah, wait a minute now! I was hoping to get in a quick round of volleyball! Maybe Darine gave her better skills, since this is her Nightmare, y’know?” You teased, teeth bared in a malicious smile.

“You little!” She seethed. “Humans may have won this war, but only because you received help from our kind! Don’t you EVER forget that.”

Deena cowered behind you. “Yeah, Deena helped with the whole shielding thing, but she didn’t make me better than you at volleyball. Go, Ulzar!”

Merida lunged at you, shrieking, but Ulzar managed to banish her before she reached you. “That was highly unnecessary.”

“You didn’t watch her play.” Atlas added, snickering. As much as you hated to admit it, you were going to miss him when your Nightmare inevitably collapsed. Perhaps you could find a way to bring them all out of it with you. “By the way, what’s the Vortex?”

Ulzar hummed to himself for a moment. “In a way, it is the birthplace of Nexomon. It is also a dimension of no return.”

“Yeah, didn’t Omnicron crawl outta there?” You mused, trying to remember yourself. This place was based off your memories, so it was probably true, but you couldn’t be sure.

“It doesn’t matter right now. Bryce, as a creation linked to this Nightmare, it is only a matter of time before you disappear. I am sorry.” Ulzar dipped his head.

Bryce looked over at you and you nodded. “It’s nothing. Just thank the real Bryce for me when you see him.” 

Everyone started to exit through the teleporter. You hung behind, then waved Bryce to come through after you once no one was around to see. 

You wanted to test something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Bryce is going to disappear anyway, may as well use him as a guinea pig.


	14. Dungeon Crawl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you continue your quest and learn an interesting tidbit of information.

“Let’s see… there are four more Wardens we must defeat, and--” Ulzar started, ticking them off on his fingers.

“Uh, guys?” Atlas interrupted, pointing at the teleporter.

You were already watching it, and a grin spread over your face. “Awesome, it worked!”

Ulzar took a step backwards, shocked. “W-what the hell?!”

Standing before you was Special Fake-gent Bryce Forte, unharmed and out of Merida’s Nightmare. 

“Bryce? How is that possible?” Deena asked, half-amazed and half-nervous.

“Maybe he’s the real Bryce?” Atlas said, zipping up to him and looking him over.

Ulzar shook his head. “Definitely not. I would sense any human that stepped foot in the Chasm. This is most certainly a fake created by the Nightmare.”

You, Felicient, Kitsunox, and Prismazor all looked at each other. 

“Who cares? Let him tag along, we could use the brains. Now let’s get going!” You said, heading towards Fona’s Nightmare. 

Ulzar huffed behind you, clearly not used to giving up the lead yet.

You hopped into the teleporter with ease. On the other side was something that resembled a mix of Ignitia and the Chasm.

“This doesn’t look very well done.” Bryce commented, looking around.

“What do you mean?” Ulzar asked, still suspicious. Bryce was still an anomaly to him, after all.

Bryce waved his arm around. “This just looks like a copy of the Chasm. It feels sloppy.”

Ulzar looked around this time, eventually nodding. “You’re right. Something must’ve gone wrong building this place.”

“Who cares? We’re just gonna destroy it anyway.” You hopped down the steps from the portal.

You were immediately stopped by the people in the camp you’d teleported to, all asking if you were going to join ‘Master Fenrir’ in freeing them from their Nightmare.

“Ah, I see. He caught on while the Nightmare was being created, and the Warden didn’t have time to fix it.” You said, heading out of the camp after assuring all the fake people you were going to defeat the Warden and ‘save’ them. After all, until Ziegler was gone, they were as good as free. At least, from Fake-rir’s Nightmare.

You met a grunt as you tried to race across the bridge, and after a failed explanation that you were ALSO trying to beat the hell out of the Warden, had to take him out in a Nexomon battle. 

“Y-you’ll pay for that! I’m reporting you to Lord Fenrir!”

“Tell him we’re coming to kick his Warden’s ass.” You said, walking past as he teleported away.

Unfortunately, you met that same minion again, this time with a second minion and the man who’d robbed the bank in Royalle City.

“You said you were reporting me to Fenrir, not some underling!” You yelled, unleashing Arctivore again. 

“THAT’S THEM! THEY’RE THE ONES WORKING FOR THE WARDEN!!” The minion shrieked.

“We told you we’re trying to  _ defeat  _ the Warden!” Atlas yelled, annoyed on your behalf. 

Once again, Arctivore shredded their teams to bits.

“W-we must warn Lord Fenrir!” 

“Hurry!”

The three teleported away and you cussed. “Come on already! If I have to fight them again I’m making Atlas take their teleporters away.”

Luckily, you didn’t run into them again. Fenrir and Matthew were talking with each other a bit farther up the path you were on.

“Who goes there?”

“Shut it hot head, I’m here for the Warden, not you!” You yelled. “Where the HELL are they?”

He growled, scrutinizing you. “You’re the one that’s been fighting my minions, aren’t you?”

“They have a nasty habit of getting in my way and ignoring me when I tell them I’m NOT working for the Warden.” You hissed. These fake versions of the Children of Omnicron were really starting to get on your nerves. Apparently Ziegler had decided to take all your negative memories when he constructed these worlds.

“They’re telling the truth!” Matthew yelped from behind Fenrir.

“What?”

“I-I don’t know how, exactly, but I can remember their faces! They can’t be working for the Warden!”

You looked around Fenrir and gave Matthew a thumbs up. “Thanks. This won’t mean anything to you, but Atlas and I are the ones that took the Nexocore off your hands and kept it away from the Nexolord.”

Matthew just shrugged. 

Fenrir looked between you and Matthew, then sighed. “Fine. Come with me. I doubt I’ll need your help to defeat the pitiful Warden that created this place, but you seem to know more about this than you’re letting on.”

You smirked. “Oh, you wouldn’t BELIEVE how much I’m holding back right now.”

Together, you all took off for the exit. Fenrir transformed immediately after he caught sight of the Warden.

“Ooh, Fona.” You commented, sneering and waving at the Warden. You could tell he was glaring at you behind his mask. 

“It appears I will have to remake this world after all. I had hoped you would put this silly delusion of yours to rest, Fona.” He spoke. His robes were red.

“You cannot contain me here!”

“Oh, but I can.”

Ulzar grouped you all up. “This is bad. If Ogoon rebuilds the Nightmare, we’ll all be trapped inside it as well.”

You looked out of the huddle at the Warden, then shrugged. “Alright. Time to kick his ass, then.”

Arctivore didn’t need a second prompt, lunging directly at the Warden. He barely had enough time to transform before Arctivore was slamming rocks all over the battlefield.

“You! The Nexolord trying to free our prisoners! What do you hope to accomplish?!” Ogoon screeched, trying to avoid Arctivore’s fangs. 

“I’m gonna kick Omnicron’s ass!” You yelled back. “Sorry to steal your thunder, Fona, but I can’t let your Warden try again.”

Fona wasn’t paying attention, though. In fact, he was now trying to jump into the battle himself, tag-teaming with Arctivore to take down the Warden of Fire. 

Ogoon didn’t stand a chance.

“Absurd mortals! Omnicron and his Children deserve an eternity in this place! You are dooming yourselves!”

The knot in your stomach grew a little bit tighter. If you’d already released Omnicron into the human world, and you were still stuck here… what was going on outside?

Fenrir detransformed as Ogoon’s influence was lifted, panting for breath.

“You could’ve just let me handle it, you know.”

He glared at you for that little comment. “I see you’re as cocky as ever, Y/N.”

Ulzar, learning from the first altar, stepped in before you could egg him on even more. “Fona, you know I cannot allow you to return to the mortal world. I will send your soul to the Vortex. Do you understand?”

“You can do whatever you want, but first…”

Fenrir strode up to you and you clenched your fists, prepared to fight. Instead, he just touched your foreheads together. “You’ll need this to clear the black flames in the other Nightmares. Take care of the rest of my siblings, Y/N. You won.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, desperately wishing to explain what was actually going on but not knowing if that would alert Ziegler. Bryce had proven himself able to work against a Warden’s wishes, but you weren’t sure you could trust Ziegler’s false Children.

Ulzar seemed to relish sending Fenrir’s soul to the Vortex. “Aah… two thousand years of rivalry.”

“Don’t care, next altar!” You yelled, jumping into the teleporter.

Bryce and Ulzar were conversing when they came out the other side. 

“Even Miriam doesn’t have the power to send people to the Vortex.” 

“I was hoping we could catch some powerful Nexomon there for our fight against Omnicron…” Bryce sighed, looking defeated. 

You rolled your eyes. Of course Ziegler wouldn’t create a scenario where you could actually go to the Vortex. Then you might find out where Omnicron came from, and if there was anything stronger than him there.

You wasted no time hopping into the next altar’s teleporter. Inside was a man you’d never seen before, but Deena certainly seemed to recognize him.

“Oh, there he is!” She grinned, grabbing your arm. “That’s Grunda!”

“Staples: That was easy.” You said, walking up to him. 

“And who might you be?” He asked, looking down at you. He was a beast of a Nexomon and a beast of a man, easily over 6 feet tall and covered in muscles. He was also old. Considerably older than the other children, Fenrir and Nadine included.

“Doesn’t matter, we’re looking for someone wearing a cloak and a mask, know anyone who looks like that?” You asked, cutting right to the chase. You had to admit, you were curious what Grunda’s actual personality was. 

“I have not, but please make yourself comfortable. I am Ulrich, protector of this village.” He responded.

You had to stifle a snort, because he  _ really  _ didn’t strike you as an Ulrich. Then again, you couldn’t really say what you thought his name should’ve been. You were surprised he was even here, considering how few memories you had of Grunda. Ziegler must’ve had Ulrich’s previous Warden take over the creation of this world.

Atlas looked at him with open confusion. “Protector? What are you protecting this place from?”

“The wicked Tyrant Remus, of course.” Ulrich said, as though it was obvious.

This time, you couldn’t help but giggle. Perhaps Ziegler HAD interfered with this Nightmare’s creation, just a little bit. You were certain Grunda had never met Remus before that singular fight when he was resurrected.

Instead of making yourself comfortable like Ulrich suggested, you immediately took off to go hunt down the Warden. All of the people in the camp warned you to look out for Remus, but you just insisted that you could take care of yourself. Now that Luhava had sufficiently piggy-backed enough levels to hold his own in a fight again, you wanted him to get some solo experience to catch up with everyone else. As you ran, you turned off your exp share and multiplier, detaching the small devices from the latches of the Nexotraps. Somehow, it still distributed the experience even if the Nexomon weren’t inside their traps. You’d meant to ask Atlas about that, but there’d been no time when you were racing to defeat Omnicron.

Unfortunately, before you could find the Warden, you ran into Remus.

“So it is you! The wicked tamer that wishes to release Grunda! I cannot allow this!” He yelled, blocking the other end of the bridge you’d wanted to cross.

Part of you was sorely tempted to just get on Luhava’s back and fly over him, but you imagined that wouldn’t go too well. Remus would probably leap into the air and throw you off or some other stupid trick, considering he seemed to be a guard-dog for the Warden here.

You’d planned to just sic Luhava on him, but before you could give the command Ulrich teleported in front of you.

“Not another step, Remus.”

“Ulrich! I see you have new allies, wicked beast.”

You listened to them yell at each other for a while, then got to sit back and enjoy as they attacked each other for you.

“Y’know, I could get used to this. I think I get why James used the Overseers so much.” You mused.

You heard Kitsunox laugh behind you.

“Oh please, as if you’d ever turn down a chance to battle.” Deena giggled.

“Fine, fine, I am an unstoppable machine of violence, you win.” You put your hands up, joining in the laughter. 

Finally, the battle ended with Ulrich as the clear winner. 

“Sweet, let’s go kick some Warden ass.” You said, stepping around him and Remus before either one could try to stop you. You ignored Ulrich’s plea for you to return to the village so he could protect you.

“Hey, isn’t it a little strange that Remus knew Ulrich was a monster?” Bryce asked, speeding up to walk next to you.

Deena chimed in for you. “The Warden must’ve created him specifically to help subdue Ulrich! Titan probably told Remus everything!”

“That’s problematic.” You mumbled, staring ahead.

“What is? ...Oh.” Atlas followed your train of sight, seeing Remus once again on the ground before Ulrich. Apparently they’d both teleported ahead of you at some point.

“I’ve come for answers, Remus.” Ulrich rumbled. At least it was the same voice as you remembered from fighting Grunda. “Why do you try so hard to annihilate me?”

Remus glared up at him. “You may have deceived the others, but not me! I know you’re a vile monster, deep down!”

“Is that what you think…?” Ulrich hummed.

A new voice spoke out of nowhere. “It is the truth.”

“Ayyy, Titan!” You grinned, signalling to Luhava that it should prepare for a fight. “I was wondering when you were gonna show up. Kept me waiting long enough.”

“What are you? Another monster?” Remus huffed.

“I have never seen this creature in my life.” Ulrich growled, glaring at the brown-robed figure.

You rolled your neck, popping the vertebrae loudly and forcing everyone’s attention onto you. “Yeah, Titan’s a monster. Well, a Warden, to be more specific. They’re the ones that made this Nightmare, just to keep Ulrich prisoner!”

“You!” He hissed, eyes flashing behind the mask. He snapped his fingers once and Remus disappeared from existence. “I had enough trouble from that one, but you! You’re the tamer freeing the other prisoners! BEGONE!”

“Hey, Grunda, wanna lend a hand? Fona helped us out with his Warden.” You said, looking over at him as Luhava began whipping tornados all over the place. Ulrich was just standing there, stunned. “Hellooooo, earth to Grunda? Ulrich, do you read me?”

You snapped your fingers at him, but it was no use. So instead, you just let Luhava deal with the fight.

“Well well…” Titan rasped, down on one knee. “You have won, but what for? We protect your petty world, and now you want us gone?”

“Hey, I didn’t ask you for shit!” You yelled as he disappeared. 

When you turned around, Grunda was still staring. But this time, it was at you.

“...Howdy. Yes, I am aware I murdered you within minutes of you being resurrected. No, I will not apologize. Ulzar, take it away!” You said, walking towards the portal without another word.

You heard him explaining the whole Vortex thing to Grunda and then the tell-tale sound of him actually sending the false Grunda away. You’d (hopefully) have some time to meet the real one, considering how well you were currently doing on taking out Wardens.

Assuming you were actually taking them out, and this wasn’t part of Ziegler’s little show.

Deena was walking beside you now, and she looked concerned. “Hey, why do you think the Nightmares aren’t disappearing? I can still sense Merida’s and Fona’s.”

“Like I said before, I’ve got a gut feeling that I’m the real prisoner here. There’s a good chance that this whole thing is just my Nightmare.” You said evasively. So long as you made it seem like you weren’t sure, there was a better chance that Ziegler wouldn’t step in. 

You waited outside the altar for everyone else to clear out, then headed to the opposite wing. There, you found Nadine and Zetta’s altars, and another altar that appeared to be out of use.

“Hey, what’s up with this one?” You asked, jerking a thumb towards it.

Ulzar grumbled a bit before replying. “Back in the day, I prepared an altar for each of Omnicron’s children. This was supposed to be Nara’s, but as you know, it was unnecessary.” 

You narrowed your eyes at him. “What about James’?”

“Hm?”

“Omnicron’s seventh kid. The Nexolord. I didn’t see an altar for him.”

Ulzar shook his head. “His name is Metta. He disappeared after my victory, otherwise I would’ve created one for him as well.”

“Metta? Wack. I never got to see what he looked like…” You hummed. “If he’s not here, does that mean he’s still in the human world? Y’know, since he was apparently there all along and became the Nexolord and shit.”

“It’s possible. You will have to hunt him down as well, once you finish taking out Omnicron.”

While it wasn’t the final puzzle piece, it was a major clue. It seemed Ziegler was trying to get you to turn on all the Children. But that would mean he suspected your actual plan…

“Whatever, I’ll burn that bridge when I get there.”

“That is  _ not  _ how the saying goes!” Atlas supplied.

You merely shrugged and hopped into Nadine’s altar. On the other side was a lush tree-top society. Floating platforms were all interconnected by massive root systems growing as bridges. 

As you walked, searching for the Warden, you encountered

a

giant

Mandrass.

...How unfortunate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no.


	15. Oh no

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh no

“Well met, fellow humans!” The giant Mandrass called out. 

“Oh, so it’s a fever dream now. Even better.” You pursed your lips. 

It continued, ignoring your little comment. “A fine day, wouldn’t you agree?”

_ No, no I would not. I’m stuck in hell, and you’re a talking Nexomon. _

“What the hell?” Ulzar asked, drawing his cape over his mouth. You noticed he did that pretty often. Maybe it was a coping mechanism left over from when he was alive?

“You seem vexed, dearest human! But rest assured, I mean you no harm! Rather, it is a tiny favor I ask.”

Deena looked nauseous, and you could see why. Mandrass normally gave off a smell, but this thing was huge and it positively  _ reeked _ . “What do you want?”

“The winds from that Nadine lady have proven quite treacherous for my friends and I! They’ve all flown far, far away!”

“We don’t have time to look for them.”

You looked over at Ulzar, and you knew he was just going off of whatever script Ziegler had made him with, but you really wanted to hit him. “Shut up and move, we don’t have time to argue. I guarantee if we try to get around him the Nightmare’s going to freak out.”

You didn’t give him time to respond, doubling back and searching for any out-of-place Mandrass. They were cute enough, and you’d enjoyed evolving the one you caught (despite the significantly less-cute later forms…), so when you found a Mandrass you would just put it on your shoulder, or your head, or even sitting on top of your backpack. They made little happy squeaking noises as you carted them around. You even named them.  


Mandy.

Missy.

Minty.

Moose.

You gently Moose in your arms as you walked. Mandy was hard at work tapping on your head. Missy was fast asleep on your left shoulder, and Minty was squeaking up a storm on your right. You listened intently to his little story, imagining it was very important.

You noticed that all your Nexomon had gotten significantly more tense over the course of your hunt. You couldn’t fathom  _ why _ , though. Was there something you should know about this Nightmare?

Finally, you were back in front of the giant Mandrass.

“Oh, goodie! You found all of them. Excellent! Now I can finally eat them!”

Before you had any time to react the Mandrass had swiped all the little ones off your shoulders and teleported away.

Kitsunox had tried to lunge, but he was still too late. Everyone was rooted to the spot, trying to process what had just happened.

“Please tell me that didn’t happen before, too.” You whispered, staring off into space. 

Kitsunox just whimpered. 

“He… he did seem… a bit…  _ larger  _ than usual…” Atlas whispered.

Ulzar’s entire mouth was hidden behind his cape. “I… uh… I forgot what we even came here to do.”

“NOOOOOOO!!!!” Deena shrieked, dropping to her knees. 

You sank down, drawing her into your arms and letting her cry on your shoulder. Even if this was a fake Deena and those were fake Mandrass, you were going to remember this moment for the rest of your life.

“I’m gonna kill Ziegler so fast when I find him. Just for that. The rest was excusable. 

But this? 

This was just fucked up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They deserve their own chapter. RIP Mandrass :cry~1:
> 
> (If you guys want to yell at me real-time, come join the Nexomon Discord!)


	16. Jailbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you cannot stop laughing.

After what felt like an eternity you and Deena got up off the ground. She was still shaky and leaned on you for support as you walked past where that… thing... had been. You refused to acknowledge it as an actual Nexomon.

The rest of the hunt for Nadine’s Warden was silent and slow. When you finally found Nadine, she was already passed out on the ground.

“What happened to her?!” Deena yelled, snapping out of her melancholy long enough to run with you to her body.

“She’s still breathing, it’s alright.” You said, turning her on her side and resting her head on her hand. You doubted she’d passed out from drinking too much, but it didn’t hurt to be safe. Nadine struck you as someone who would probably go ape-shit at a rave just as easily as sip wine at a fancy restaurant.

When you looked up again, the Wind Warden was already staring back at you. “Welcome, young Nexolord. I’ve been expecting you.”

“If you did this to her, you need to understand that no amount of bartering is going to save you from an ass-whooping right now.”

“You know… the other Wardens are all terrified at your intrusion into the Chasm.”

“The other Wardens can suck my ass.”

“Such vulgar language from such a small human… But yes, I did do this to Nadine. I’ve drained her of her power.”

Ulzar chuckled behind you. “You realize without a prisoner you’ll soon fade away, correct?”

“Oh, undoubtedly. But I’ve already thought that out. In fact, the solution is right in front of me.”

You started to giggle. Just a little bit, nothing crazy. “Oh, babe, you almost had me there! I don’t think Ziegler would approve of you stealing me, though. How would that even work? Can you layer a Nightmare, or would you just take me to a new one?”

The Warden stuttered something, but you kept going.

“Eh, either way, it doesn’t matter. Carnagrius, you’re the last one inside, come on out!”

It charged Hexia, engulfing the area in flames almost instantly. The trees, the grass, all the greenery that went into creating this floating island became tinder. 

You bridal-carried Nadine and guarded her from getting caught in the crossfire (pun intended). Eventually, the flames died down. Carnagrius trotted back towards you to receive its head-scratches for a job well done.

“Are you sure of this…? The King of Monsters is cunning… he won’t lose to you twice… You will cause the tragedy you’re trying to avert...” Hexia hissed out from where she was laying. 

“Already caused it, in the process of fixing it.” You flipped her off and headed towards the teleporter, still carrying Nadine. 

She eventually stirred in your arms. And then immediately tried attacking you herself. Yep, definitely not the real Nadine. You tossed here unceremoniously on the floor. “Ulzar, you’re up!”

“You! I remember everything!”

“You remember the Warden kicking your ass and leaving you on the floor to die?” You taunted, leaning on the frame above the teleporter. 

“Enough already!” Ulzar groaned, banishing her. “Must you rile them all up?!”

“Yes. Yes I must.” You said simply, jumping into the teleporter again. “Zetta time!”

This portal proved to be the worst of them all. Not because of the difficulty, but rather…

For some reason, Zetta’s Warden decided to put a fake Spencer in there. He was just as annoying, but you couldn’t punt this over the edge of the platform like an annoying blonde football either. 

“Kitsunox, hold me back. Hold me back right now or you are all going to witness the infanticide of Nightmare Spencer.” Kitsunox did as he was asked and hooked his arms under your shoulders, lifting you off the ground so you couldn’t break free.

“My, my, what do we have here? More peasants!” Spencer sneered. This Nightmare reminded you of the mountains, not Royalle City. You’d have to figure that one out later, though.

Atlas just rolled his eyes. “What happened to this place?” 

The area was littered with pits, as though some great battle had occurred. 

“The destruction you see is the wrath of the great Zetta himself! He rules the mountain, and I am his faithful Overseer! Those who oppose our great king are blasted down by his lightning!!”

You mentally tucked that piece of information away for later. If you survived this, you were going to sit down Zetta AND James and figure out who was really responsible for making that little menace an Overseer.

“If I know Zetta, he’ll be at the top of the mountain, and the Warden shouldn’t be far behind! We should go!” Deena grinned, taking a step forward. 

Spencer’s face turned from that snobby smirk to sour in a second. “You go NOWHERE without MY permission! If you want to meet Zetta you must pay me for the privilege! 50 million coins!”

“Or I could have my Nexomon tear you limb from limb and throw you off the mountain.” You deadpanned. The Nightmare definitely wouldn’t let you kill him, but you could at least take some solace in threatening him. HE didn’t know he was being protected by a giant Nexomon. Well, two, probably.

“Oh? Does the peasant wish to challenge me?” He laughed haughtily. You screamed into your mouth and Kitsunox held you just a bit tighter. The real Spencer would’ve been cowering in a corner at that threat. “Pass me to Luhava. You’re taking down Spencer for me.”

Luhava just dangled you from his beak while Kitsunox effortlessly tore through Spencer’s weak little team. 

“W-what?! You’ll regret that, p-peasant!” He squealed, running up the mountain a little ways before teleporting out.

“...” Everyone just stared as Luhava gently lowered you to the ground.

“You really don’t like that Spencer kid, do you?” Bryce asked.

You turned your gaze on him. “You think I hate  _ that  _ one, wait until you meet the REAL one.”

Bryce’s face neutralled and you realized what you’d said. “Look, just because you’re a Nightmare construct doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you fade out of existence. If Malk can escape PIXEKAI, I can figure out how to get you all out of here.”

“Don’t give me false hope.”

You shrugged and started up the mountain, dodging lightning strikes that became more and more frequent the closer you got to the top.

Unfortunately, instead of a giant lightning dragon, you ran into Spencer again. He was standing on a bridge talking to the bounty hunter, and Kitsunox tackled you to the ground before you could toss him over the edge.

You hissed as Spencer shrieked. “THERE THEY ARE!!! THERE THEY ARE!!!! Do your job, bounty hunter!! You’ll be immensely rewarded!!”

“Yeah, yeah, can’t believe you were beaten by a kid, though.”

“A KID?!” You shrieked. The Wardens had all been calling you young, but you figured that was because they were all millenia old, not because they thought you were an actual child.

“I AM a kid!” Spencer yelled, running behind the bounty hunter. 

“Let’s get this over with. Ain’t nothin’ personal.” The bounty hunter said, tossing out his team. 

You growled from underneath Kitsunox. “Everyone in. Decimate this motherfucker.”

It was a bloodbath. Or, it would’ve been, if Nexomon had blood. They could get cuts and scrapes, but you’d never actually seen any of them bloody. At worst, the Champions had some burn marks from when you’d set off the Nexocore bomb. And those all disappeared after only a few minutes.

“Oh come on!!! How can a kid beat YOU?!” Spencer teleported away again, leaving you positively thrashing underneath Kitsunox. He rolled his eyes and barked once in your ear. It almost definitely meant ‘get it together’ in Nexomon-speak.

The bounty hunter just stared at you, then shook his head. “Guess Zetta’s in for a surprise. What’s yer bus’ness with that madman? ...Nah, nevermind. Just know you’d be doin’ us all a favor, takin’ ‘im out. Less lightning strikes to deal with.”

He teleported away, too. After another few minutes Kitsunox let you up, and you immediately found a large rock to throw over the edge to get out your rage. You sat and watched it until it got so far away that it was completely invisible.

Deena put a hand on your shoulder, looking nervous when your head whipped back to look at her. You’d definitely heard something crack in your neck.

Finally, you made it to Zetta. Spencer was cowering next to him.

“Well well well! First, you come unannounced to my mountain, and then you had the nerve to beat up my pet! Isn’t that right?” He laughed, fists held high and sparking with energy.

“Yes, oh great Lord Zetta! Woof woof!” Spencer barked. Your rage immediately melted into manic laughter, and you had to drop to a knee as you cackled.

“Alright, this is pretty weird…” Atlas said, looking over at Deena. She just shrugged. 

Zetta waited for you to finish laughing, which took upwards of five minutes. Finally, gasping for air, you told him to go on.

“Finally… I was going to say that you ARE strong, and I was going to offer you a place as my pet. What do you say?”

That snapped you out of it for the most part, but you did let out a snort. “Kitsunox, if this happened the first time, PLEASE tell me.”

Kitsunox whined, but nodded his head. 

“Oh, I am NEVER letting him live that one down.”

“What do you mean, _ the first time _ ?” Ulzar asked, eyebrow raised.

You waved him off. “Don’t worry about it.” Then, you turned back to Zetta. “Sorry, no-can-do. Unfortunately, you’re not quite my type.”

“I see you’ll need a bit of persuasion, then!” He laughed.

You dissolved into laughter again, just waving for any of your Nexomon to get into the battle. “I can’t, I can’t, it’s too funny! I am going to bully Zetta SO HARD for this!”

Zetta’s expression became a lot less smug and a lot more worried as your team tore through his in the same way they’d torn through Spencer’s. 

You barked out one last laugh and stood back up to your full height. “Oh god, I really can’t. Come on out, Warden, I know you’re watching!”

“What?” Zetta asked, looking around.

The Warden of Thunder appeared by his side, sighing and shaking its head. “You’ve had your fun, young Nexolord.”

“How old do you guys think I am?!” You yelled.

“...I cannot let you harm my prisoner any longer. Please leave.” He said, evading the question.

You looked over at Zetta and winked at him. “Hey, wanna see something even funnier than Spencer barking? Prismazor!”

In a flash, Prismazor was leaping at the Warden. Krowr barely had time to transform before he was covered in thorns, leaves, and anything else Prismazor wanted to use. You’d coached them all when they were still growing and evolving, but after that first day they’d all learned what to do. You just got to sit back and watch, looping Zetta’s arm over your shoulder as you dragged him out of harm’s way.

“Hey, wanna hear something even funnier than that?” You whispered, jerking your thumb at the ongoing battle. Zetta just looked at you, flushing bright pink. “You’re not even the real Zetta. We’re actually in MY nightmare, and me and my Nexomon are the only real things here.”

“W-what?!” He shrieked, just as the battle ended. 

“Now now, just keep playing along, Luxa. You’ll get your moment.” You turned to listen to the Warden’s parting words.

“You walk a dangerous path, young Nexolord. Without any Wardens, the King of Nexomon will be unbeatable…”

“I kicked that blue puppy’s ass once and I’ll do it again! Ulzar, take care of Zetta, I’m ready for round two! Three! Whatever it is!” You yelled, pushing Zetta off your shoulders and sending him stumbling into Ulzar. “Let’s go babes!”

You and your Nexomon all SPRINTED for the teleporter, spilling out on top of each other in your haste to escape the Nightmare. By the time you’d disentangled, everyone else was out as well.You pulled your leg out from under Arctivore and tumbled down the steps, landing in an awkward sit. “Ow. Alright, let’s go!”

You Nexomon took a second longer to get free, but then you and everyone else were running for the door. 

For some reason, it was already open. You turned and waved your arms at it. “Ulzar. What the fuck, dude?”

“I didn’t open it. Someone must have waited until we defeated the Wardens.”

“What the FUCK do you mean  _ someone _ ?! We should be the only people in here!” You yelled. “I don’t have time for this shit!”

“Correct. I would’ve suggested we wait for the Overseers here, but if whoever is in there now plans on releasing Omnicron, we have no choice but to go now.”

You let out a noise like a strangled scream and charged forward, blazing past Ulzar. Inside was a gigantic staircase, and all the soreness you’d magically lost upon entering the Nightmare came back full force as you tackled the steps. The closer you got to the top, the more you could make out the figure standing up there. 

“Glacia you blue bitch get OUT OF MY WAY!” You yelled. “KITSUNOOOOX!!!!!”

He darted past you, snarling as he prepared a Disruption Ray. 

“Oh no you don’t!” She growled, releasing a Nexotrap.

Inside? Darine, the first Warden you fought. “I’ve been waiting for you to show up, Y/N! It’s time for my ice-cold revenge!”

“How the HELL did you get in here?!” You snarled, finally cresting the stairs. Then, you stopped.

You started to giggle.

Glacia raised an eyebrow, concerned by the rapid mood swing.

“Oh, I get it! You’re mad about James! Oh, man, I thought Juliet was the only one with a crush on him, but I guess I was wrong!” You continued to giggle. Darine and Kitsunox were clashing over on the side, not that you cared right now. Looking at how strong he was now, he could’ve single-handedly taken on Omnicron the first time you’d faced him. “Babe, come on, it’s plain on your face! No one would get that mad about a little Nexomon battle!”

She snarled. “When I’m done with you, I will finish what he started! I am his true loyal Overseer! You’re just some hick from Parum!”

“Ooh, harsh words for someone who couldn’t even guard a measly Tower. You were going to rely on the Champions to do all the hard work for you anyways, so don’t even start.” You held up a finger before she could make a rebuttal. “I’m gonna give you one chance. Release the Wardens. Go home. Keep training your Nexomon. You’re a decent tamer, Glacia. But if this is the route you wanna take, know that I won’t hesitate to stomp you down.”

In response, she let out the other four Wardens. 

“Suit yourself. Kids, stand back. Let Kitsunox handle this.”

“Ha! ONE Nexomon, against FOUR Wardens? Have you lost braincells after being stuck in here for so long?” She taunted. Kitsunox started swinging, and Wardens started falling. This time, though, they looked more afraid than angry with you.

Kitsunox returned to your side and you stared at Glacia, waiting for a response. “Well? Gonna talk shit about god-killer over here again?”

“I-I don’t understand! How can they LOSE?!”

You looked behind her at the pile of Wardens, and an idea struck you. “Hey, you guys need a prisoner to sustain your power, right? Want her?”

“WHAT?!” She shrieked. The Wardens had all perked up at that little idea and you stood back as they swarmed her, disappeared in a flash of light. You did a little dance, just to flex on her. Even though she was already gone. You’d probably have to run in and save her eventually, but for now you just wanted to keep the other Wardens preoccupied and alive.

“Something’s wrong.” Deena said, putting a hand on your shoulder and stopping the dance.

Ulzar nodded. “You feel it too?”

“The aura from that Chamber… it doesn’t belong to Father Omnicron.” Deena healed your Nexomon and then slipped her hand into yours. It felt clammy. 

“I’m calling it now, it’s gonna be Ziegler.” You put your free hand up and started walking forward. 

Strangely, there was  _ nothing  _ inside the next room. Then again, the Wardens could make themselves invisible, so it wouldn’t be out of place for good ol’ Zieggy to just be hiding. 

No, the thing out of place in the room was the GIANT GAPING HOLE IN THE WALL. And more importantly, what you could see on the other side of it.

Deena, Atlas, and Ulzar. The REAL ones. “Hey babes! Welcome to my Nightmare! Glacia got in here before you!” You called out, waving.

“Just as I suspected.” Ulzar said, nodding. 

You glared at him. “You didn’t suspect shit, faker. Ziegler would’ve killed you ages ago if you did.”

“What is going on?!” Nightmare!Deena asked, crying. 

You turned to her and giggled. “Don’t worry babe, I’m not gonna let Ziegler kill you off.”

“How did you figure it out?” Real!Ulzar asked, stepping into your Nightmare to stand beside the Nightmare!Ulzar. 

You just gestured at your Nexomon. Kitsunox even gave a little bow, and you clapped for him.

“Alright, now that we’ve cleared that up…” You said, looking over your real friends’ shoulders, “What the fuck is going on behind yall? My basement looks trashed.”

“You… uh…” Real!Deena started, glancing behind her and wincing. “You went to the Netherworld two weeks ago… and you didn’t come back. Omnicron and my siblings did.”

You nodded, taking in that information. “Mmmm, sounds about right. Can’t  _ believe  _ I let your dad win, though.”

Kitsunox tapped your shoulder and shook his head.

“I…  _ did  _ let him win? That doesn’t make sense… I would’ve had to…” You hummed to yourself, wishing you had your memories from your first time in the Chasm back. You knew you wouldn’t have destroyed his soul, but something must’ve happened between weakening him enough to put your real plan into action and getting trapped in your own Nightmare.

Probably Ziegler. You decided to ask him.

“HEY! ZIEGLER! GET YOUR BITCH-ASS OUT HERE. I HAVE QUESTIONS!” You yelled, spinning around the room. You didn’t know where he was, but he had to be somewhere in this room.

Slowly, he materialized between you and the hole in the wall. “You were too  _ weak  _ to defeat the King of Monsters. As punishment, I took you as my prisoner.”

“That’s bullshit and we both know it.” You said, jabbing a finger in his direction. “Tell me what  _ actually  _ happened and MAYBE I won’t let Kitsunox rip you to shreds.”

“Just let us out! We can defeat him for real this time!” Nightmare!Deena yelled.

“We?” Ziegler chuckled. “You are but a fake. A puppet in this grand play! Witness how easily I turn you against your so-called friend!”

Deena made a strangled noise, tearing up as she moved robotically to stand between you and Ziegler.

“It’s alright, Deena. Keep fighting it. I’ll protect myself.” You nodded, calling forth Carnagrius.

“I’m! Sorry!” She gasped out, transforming into Nara. 

You took her down and caught her as she started falling, turning human once again. 

“Get out of my head!” She cried out, glaring at Ziegler as you set her down. 

Ziegler simply laughed again. “A marvelous show, indeed!”

You took a step forward, flicking your finger for Kitsunox to follow you.

“Ah, yes, it’s my turn now, isn’t it? Let’s see how much stronger you’ve gotten since we last met. Once I’m done with you, you’ll stay here for all of eternity!”

You growled, rubbing your hands over your face. “You are by  _ far  _ one of the  _ stupidest  _ creatures I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with since I became a tamer. Tell me what the hell  _ happened  _ already!” You shrieked the last sentence as Kitsunox lunged. “You KNEW my plan! You KNEW I wasn’t going to kill him! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!” 

“What?!” Ziegler gasped. Kitsunox tackled him through the hole in the wall, scrapping on the floor of your basement.

“Oh no! You aren’t playing dumb this time you key-jangling bitch!” You yelled, following him through. Kitsunox had him pinned against the crumbling wall, one hit away from losing. “Start talking.”

“One… tamer… cannot hold… all that power…” He gasped out, weakly struggling against Kitsunox’s grip.

You slapped your forehead. “You stupid fuck, did you think I was going to USE him?!”

“W-what?” He hissed out, his central orange eye glaring at you.

You growled, waving your hand in a circle. “I don’t have time, it’s already been two weeks. Kitsunox, take care of him. We’ve got bigger problems to deal with. Go play with Glacia or something, join the rest of the Wardens. I don’t give a shit.”

As Ziegler disappeared you looked back at the Nightmare, trying to think on your toes for a way to keep it open. Luckily, the real Miriam appeared beside you.

“Hello dear! Remember me? Or, rather, the fake version of me from your Nightmare?”

“Shit, yes, perfect! Miriam, right? Rebirthed my Nexomon both times? Can you keep a Nightmare open for me?!” You asked, grabbing her hands.

“Wait, both? You rebirthed your Nexomon a second time? Geez, Ziegler must really not have wanted you to escape…” She trailed off, looking in through the wall at your Nightmare. Your fake!friends were all cowering as it started to shake. “I mean, sure, I guess. But… why?”

“I mean A, Glacia’s in there, and B, if Malk can escape PIXEKAI then there has to be a way to get all of these guys out, too. But no time! Thank you SO SO SO much, but I have to go commit animal abuse now!” You waved to her as you raced up what was left of your basement stairs.

“I’ll change it so you can take any Nexomon inside!” She called after you.

“THANK YOUUUUUU!!!!” You yelled. 

The rest of your house was in roughly the same shape as the basement. Crumbling, that is. You and your team charged outside and were immediately assaulted by a bunch of hostile Nexomon.

“What the fuck, is he HERE?!” You yelled, commanding your Nexomon left and right to coordinate moving attacks so you could get out of the woods. These Nexomon were ridiculously easy compared to the ones stuck inside the Nightmare.

“IVAAAAAAN!!!” You shrieked, spotting him up ahead. 

“You’re ALIVE?!” He yelled back, laughing. He picked you up in a hug and spun you around. “I can’t believe it! You really escaped!”

“Yes, where’s Omnicron?!” You asked, grabbing his hand and dragging him through the woods with you.

He picked up the pace, running alongside you now. “By town! We’ve set up a camp. Tamers are showing up from all over the world to help!”

“No need, I’m taking him on my own!”

“WHAT?!”

“ON! MY! OWN! Take me to camp!” You ordered, releasing his hand and allowing him to take the lead. 

You both booked it for what was left of Parum Town, even running into Ron on the way. 

“You’re really alive! When I heard the news I just had to see for myself!” He meowed, tiny legs plodding along beside you. Really, it was a miracle he was keeping up. “My shop is still open if you need anything before your fight!”

“Golden Nexotraps! As many as you can spare! I have a plan!” You yelled. He nodded and finally, FINALLY you got to see him teleport away. “I KNEW IT!”

“What do you need Golden Nexotraps for?!” Ivan yelled over the wind. All of Parum was charred to the ground, windstorms and lightning striking at random. Omnicron had clearly found out where you lived and decided to give it a once-over.

Tamers screamed when they saw you, Ivan, and your team charging in.

“Y/N!”

“They’re alive!”

“I can’t believe it!”

“We’re saved!”

“Omnicron is waiting for you!”

“Tell the others, Y/N is back!”

“How did you escape?!”

You slid to a stop in front of the remains of Ron’s shop and traded all the money you had left for a stack of Golden Nexotraps. After that, you made a quick stop at the healer’s tent, patching up anything left over from the Nightmare. 

You straight through, finally finding the Alliance. Everyone who’d helped you along the way was gearing up for a final stand, and they probably didn’t even know you were back yet.

“REMUS! REMUUUUUSSSSSS!” You yelled, waving as you ran up to him. “Stop the attack! I’m taking on Omnicron on my own! If I fail, I want you all to be ready behind me! At the very least, I’ll be able to weaken him enough for you guys to take him out!”

“You’re alive!” He roared, gathering you into a bear hug. “What’s this about you taking on the King of Monsters yourself?”

“Y/N says they have a plan!” Ivan added, panting behind you. 

You dropped to a knee and coughed, feeling the full effects of your two-week-and-four-day workout. “FUCK I’m out of shape.”

“Oh shut up, you’re buffer than everyone here. Good to see you didn’t flake on me, Bolts.” Ellie laughed, rolling up beside you.

“Ellie! Did I at least tell YOU my plan before I went in?”

“Nope. You said it had to be top-secret. Whatever it is, you’d better not fuck it up again.” She laughed, pulling you up and into a hug. “Or I’ll come down to the Netherworld with Atlas and kick your ass!”

“Oof, I do NOT wanna be on the receiving end of Atlas’ kicks.” You said, remembering that poor grunt he’d flung. “Alright, alright, moving on! Where’s the big blue bitch?”

“Back by Ivan’s old gym. He said he was waiting for you, and he’s just been sitting there for two weeks. Parum got Omnicron, but his Children are attacking everywhere else in the world.” Ellie explained, pulling out a tablet with a live news feed.

“Bastards. I’m going to kick their asses.” You hissed, watching Luxa attack the mountain town. “Alright, all of you stay behind me! I don’t want ANYONE interfering unless I’m about to die, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?” You barked, staring down everyone.

They all nodded.

“Yes, Nexolord!”

“We’ve got your back!”

“We missed you Y/N!”

“Good to have you back!”

You nodded. “Alright. Let’s finish this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of the end...   
> (of Arc 2, lol. there's at least 3 more Arcs)  
> PS Rip Mandrass again, they didn't deserve that.


	17. Rescue Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you kick ass and use all those Golden Nexotraps you wasted your money on.

First, though, you had to deal with the group of grunts blocking the way to the ruins of the gym.

“Halt! We are the former minions of the previous Nexolord!”

“I can see that. If you’re here to guard Omnicron, just know--”

“PLEASE FORGIVE US!” As a unit, they all dropped to their knees. “He told us Omnicron would spare those who allied with him! We pledge our loyalty to you now, oh great Nexolord! As a token of our loyalty, please take this!”

You threw your head back and groaned loudly, taking the proffered key. You’d have to figure out what it went to later, but you had your suspicions. “Get with the rest of the Alliance, they’ll get you up to speed. Just stay out of my way. We can discuss… whatever _that_ was later.”

They all nodded and _raced_ to get behind you with everyone else.

You stopped everyone as you got closer. “Hang back here. I don’t want Omnicron missing a shot and getting one of you on accident. Remember the plan?”

“Yes Nexolord!” They all cheered. Ellie gave you a thumbs up and a wink. She’d figured out your plan. You could just tell.

You nodded at her and walked forward with your team. “Hey Omnicron! Guess who broke out of their Nightmare WITHOUT HELP!”

“...As I suspected… At long last, my wait concludes…” He rumbled, standing up. “Do not be naive, human. I could have destroyed your world long ago. It would have been a waste to destroy your petty little world without annihilating you first.”

“Weird, I would’ve thought you’d make me, I dunno, witness its destruction or something cliche. Whatever, suit yourself.” You shrugged. Next, you turned back to your Nexomon. “Who wants first dibs on the big blue bitch himself?”

Felicient stepped up, delicately placing her paw in your hand as she glared at Omnicron.

“Heh. Cats and dogs.” You giggled, moving aside to let her through. 

He growled down at her, then turned his gaze back to you. “On this day, the strongest of all monsters clashes with the strongest of all humans, as equals. We shall determine the future of this wretched world!”

You nodded, tapping your chin. “That reminds me. You said you wanted to conquer this world, but won’t that be kinda hard if you destroy the whole planet? Like, Nexomon can’t survive on a dead world any more than humans.”

He barked, snapping in your direction. Felicient swatted at his nose, driving him back.

“Even with my daughter’s aura protecting your Nexomon, I will obliterate them all! WITNESS THE ABSOLUTE POWER OF THE KING OF MONSTERS!”

The sky turned black. Thunder and lightning crashed all around, and the wind got even stronger. 

“Someone shut this overgrown puppy up already.” You groaned, and then the game was on.

Felicient took out a decent chunk of his health as you caught up with Atlas. Your Nexomon tagged each other in and out on their own, much to Omnicron’s displeasure.

-

“Really? Who told you that?” You asked.

“Juliet! She was screaming and saying she couldn’t find the Nexolord anywhere. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that he was a Child of Omnicron.” The two of you broke into giggles just as Arctivore dealt the last blow. There was no contest.

Suddenly, the world went white. You were standing, alone, in space. Omnicron was laid out before, you defeated. 

“So this is how it ends… Destroy my soul now, and I will never threaten your world again. But know this… _every_ Nexomon will perish in years to come, for my soul is their source of life. And _that…_ will be your legacy… the Nexolord who destroyed all Nexomon!”

You rolled your eyes. “I swear, everyone in this fucking family is a drama queen. I’m not gonna kill you, dipshit.”

“What?!” He raised his head weakly, staring down at you. “Why?! I will--”

“I’m gonna cut you off right there bleu cheese, you’re not gonna do shit. I’m here to offer you a deal. Either you join forces with me as co-rulers, or I put you inside a Nexotrap and call it a night. I mean, I’m gonna put you in a Nexotrap either way so that some dumbass human can’t try to catch you, but if you co-rule with me I’ll just release you and give you your own Nexotrap. I don’t wanna be able to hold that shit over your head.”

“Is… is this a joke? _You_ , capture _me_?” He hissed. 

You stared down at your nails and picked at some loose skin. “I mean, would you rather I destroy you? I don’t think your kids are gonna be too happy about that. You’re the King of the Monsters, I’m the Nexolord. It makes sense to strike an alliance. We’ve co-existed on this planet for thousands of years, and there’s really no reason to stop now. You make the Nexomon not-hostile towards the humans, I make the humans stop using Nexotraps. Any Nexomon who wants to join a team can only do so willingly, and that includes my Nexomon. If they want to leave at any time, they’ll be free to do so. I told one of you this before, but a team that actually wants to be there is way more powerful than one that’s forced.”

He went silent for what felt like hours in the white plane you both found yourselves stuck in, considering your offer.

“I will only accept you and your team as my equal. Your brethren--”

“Are still rats, yadda yadda yadda, do you accept or not?”

“You will have to capture my Children as well.”

“Oh, I plan to. You’re all gonna get Goldened, then I’ll let you all out in the Nexolord’s Tower, and then we can figure out where to go from there.”

“You are certainly a strange human, Nexolord Y/N.”

Your mouth twisted. “I’m not the Nexolord until I kick the shit out of James in a proper battle. Sneaky bitch merged with you before I could kick his ass.”

You couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like Omnicron… laughed?

“I look forward to this little plan of yours, human. We shall see what comes of it.”

You nodded, reaching around into your backpack to grab a Golden Nexotrap. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, King of Monsters. I’ll see you when I’ve got all your Children.”

When the world came back into view, you were standing back in the ruins of Parum. A long Golden Nexotrap sat on the ground before you. 

You walked up to it and plopped it down into your backpack as cheers rang out behind you.

Deena jumped on your behind, wrapping you in a hug. “That was amazing, Y/N! You did it! You defeated my dad! Humanity is saved!”

You started to giggle. “Yeah, sure, ok. Hey, Deena, by any chance, do you know how to find the rest of your siblings? I’m guessing they’re not feeling too hot right now, if you’re anyone to judge by.”

Deena looked like she’d been punched in the gut, and you figured it had to do with you beating up her dad and locking him into a Nexotrap for the time being.

“Heh, yeah, Father Omnicron did give us most of our power… um, I think Miriam can make something for you?” She said, smiling. 

She was definitely going to be surprised. 

You clapped a hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Wanna go on another adventure, Nara?”

She giggled and nodded. 

“Let’s go talk to Miriam and find your bitch-ass siblings! I’ve got scores to settle!”

Miriam was still in the basement, watching over the Nightmare. 

“Ah, yes, I can build you a radar. But it will be expensive. I need a large amount of Nexonium.” She murmured, eyes closed as she concentrated on maintaining the Nightmare. You’d have to get Hilda and Khan to help her out, when you spoke with them next.

You dug around in your backpack, producing chunk after chunk of Nexonium. “Is this enough?”

She opened one eye and gasped, surprised at just how much you’d managed to gather while inside the Chasm. “Y-yes… certainly.”

You sat on the ruined steps and tapped your foot while you waited, watching the news. Everyone had reported that as soon as you’d gone to that weird white space the Children had all taken off. They’d likely felt their strength get sapped and ran off to hide. 

Finally, Miriam finished the radar. You hooked it up to Atlas and he produced a map with six little dots on it. 

“Looks like we’re gonna be doing a lot of running again.” You mumbled, already feeling your legs scream in protest. Your only break had been the two days where you’d passed out after Nara sent you home. You turned to her and Atlas and gave a weak thumbs up. “I’m probably going to end up in a hospital at this rate.”

“I’ll carry you if I have to!” Deena giggled, then groaned. She still looked pretty beat up.

You turned to look at all your Nexomon. “Babes, you all okay with staying in your traps right now? I don’t think I can pull you through the Warp Totems with me.”

They all nodded and were subsequently piled into your backpack. You, Deena, and Atlas prepared yourselves for one last hunt. 

Six dots. Six locations. Luxa, in the mountains. Fona, in Ignitia. Ventra, in Khan Woods. Arqua, in Palmaya. Grunda, in Solus. And finally, Metta, in the Frozen Tundra.

You booked for the teleporter, already seeing that it was nightfall. You’d need to find, subdue, and capture each of the Children as quickly as possible, lest you risk some opportunistic tamer flinging a Golden Nexotrap and suddenly having a god at their beck and call. If that happened, you didn’t want to deal with the puddle of blood that human would leave behind once they made the mistake of releasing the Champion for a battle.

The air in the mountains was charged with static and every last hair on your body stood on end when you appeared in front of the Warp Totem.

“Alright, let’s go find ourselves an overgrown snake!”

You spread out from Deena and Atlas, combing the area and asking locals where they’d last seen the giant purple dragon. He couldn’t be that good at hiding, just based off his size.

They consistently pointed you to Remus’ house, not that you were surprised. 

He lifted his head and hissed , balls of lightning appearing around him until he realized who you were.

“Y/N? You’re alive?”

“Yes, and thankfully still not your pet. What the hell was that about, Mr. King-Of-The-Nightmare?” You teased, walking up to him.

“But if you’re alive, then that means--”

“Nope! He’s in my backpack. Don’t tell Deena. Also, get in this Nexotrap. I’ll explain later.” Before Luxa could say anything, you were already watching the Golden Nexotrap spin closed. “One down, five to go!”

Atlas and Deena met you back at the Warp Totem. Atlas had realized first when the dot disappeared on his screen and went to grab Deena.

“Off to Ignitia. Ugh, imagine how hot it’s gonna be there with Fona running around.” You groaned, placing your palm on the Totem and disappearing. 

Fona was _significantly_ better at hiding than Luxa. You spent an hour running around Ignitia, and towards the end you just started yelling his name. 

“Fenrir? Fenrir, get out here you giant deer-bitch! Don’t make me let out Arctivore!”

The lava pool beside you started to ripple, and out crawled Fona.

“I see you have defeated Father Omnicron, Y/N. What do you plan to do with us now?” He asked, dipping his face low enough to look you in the eye.

“This.” You said simply, touching the Golden Nexotrap you’d been hiding behind your back to his head. His face flashed with some kind of emotion, but it was too quick to read. The Nexotrap was hot to the touch and you had to wrap it in one of your spare outfits to get it inside your backpack.

“That was a major time-sink. Let’s move, baby-catchers!”

“Is that what we’re calling ourselves?” Atlas asked, skeptical.

“We’re catching Omnicron’s babies, so yes!” You grinned down at him.

“Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask. I saw your Nexobox had---!”

You slapped a hand over Atlas’ speaker immediately, pinning him to the spot with a death glare. “Say anything else and I will turn you into scrap metal. You are one of my best friends, and all of us would hate to see you go, but I will not hesitate to murder you if you fuck up my plan.”

He held up his hands and backed away slowly, an annoyed look on his face. “You don’t have the guts to kill me.”

“I assure you I do. And if I don’t personally, Kitsunox does.” You smiled at him before heading back to the Warp Totem. Deena had watched that whole conversation with a growing sense of suspicion. 

Your next stop was Khan woods, but you took the Totem straight to the Hidden Village. “If Nadine isn’t here I’m going to throw myself off Ventra’s Tree.” You said, walking inside of the massive structure. You climbed your way to the top again, and sure enough she was laying on the branch.

“You!”

“Hiiii Nadine. How ya feelin’? I would make a joke about saving you from your Nightmare but I don’t remember what it was, and your Nightmare in MY Nightmare just had Hexia sap your powers and almost kill you.” You grinned, dropping into a squat in front of her eye. “But seriously, are you good?”

“You’re the reason we’re all so weak right now! Father Omnicron--”

“Yes, yes, I beat up your dad. I’ve been over this with Zetta and Fenrir already. I’m catching you all in Golden Nexotraps so Spencer can’t, capiche? I’m gonna let you all out in the Nexolord’s Tower and then we’re gonna go from there.”

She lifted her head up, and you stood up to follow her. “You’re not going to kill us?”

“I’ve known you all for one day, at least from what I can remember, but I’m not too keen on taking out some of the coolest people I’ve ever met.” You shrugged. “Deal?”

Using what little was left of her power, she detransformed. “Give me the Nexotrap. I want to do it myself.”

“Sounds good to me.” You handed it over to her. She looked at it with disdain, but eventually activated it and went inside. You dropped it into your pack and listened to the satisfying clink-noise it made as it hit the others. “Back down we go!”

“A-are you sure about that?” Atlas asked, looking down. “Khan teleported us down the first time!”

You looked down at him, confused. “Atlas? Did Ellie program you with a fear of heights?”

“With a fear of clumsy humans!” He shot back, pouting. You rolled your eyes and picked him up, placing him back in your backpack.

“You are such a baby. Luhava, can you fly us down, please?” You asked, letting him out. He hovered alongside the branch you were all sitting on and waited for you and Deena to climb on before swooping down. You returned him and took off for Palmaya.

Arqua was goddamn IMPOSSIBLE to find. Her dot on Atlas’ screen was all over the place, and you realized she was hiding far off in the ocean. You made the very irritating decision to pull out all your water Nexomon and set them loose in the water to find her. You rode on Bedam’s back while Deena opted for Bogarps, and eventually you saw Arqua’s massive shadow looming below. In a moment of either pure brilliance or pure stupidity, you attached a Golden Nexotrap to your fishing rod and dropped it into the water, praying you wouldn’t accidentally catch something else swimming by.

Abruptly, the shadow disappeared. You hadn’t really thought you plan through, and the sudden dip in the water level sucked you and Deena under. Atlas was (thankfully) still on shore and relaying instructions to you over your phone. You had never been more grateful you’d gone with the waterproof model. After spluttering and hacking the water out of your system, you recalled all your spare Nexomon and turned around. It was dark in Palmaya by the time you were done. Not a good sign. At least you could warp directly to Solus instead of waiting for another not-destroyed boat to take you.

Solus was on the tail-end of sunset, and you didn’t feel good about being able to find Grunda quickly. Your only idea was to go check out the cave again. You’d forgotten that it was just a giant hole in the ground now. Even so, Ulrich wasn’t inside it.

“It says he should be around here somewhere.” Atlas complained, looking at his screen. “Miriam gave us a faulty radar!”

“Wait. Wait a minute.” You said, an idea popping into your head. “We’re the only people that know what Ulrich looks like. He’s probably hiding in plain sight!”

You clapped your hands together and took off, watching all the people you passed. You found him inside the Healing Center, looking at the Himalayan Salt lamps.

“Ulrich!”

“Hm--!” He flinched after turning around and seeing you. “I felt your victory, Nexolord. Please, leave me in peace. I mean you no harm.”

“Shut fuck and come outside with us. We need to talk.” You said, forcefully dragging him out.

“How are you so strong?!” He yelped, feeling his feet slide against the tiles.

You looked back at him over your shoulder. “I broke one of James’ grunts ribs because he was threatening to take Atlas. Don’t ask questions you’re not prepared to know.”

Finally outside, you released him. He rubbed his wrist as you started to talk.

“Alright, I’ve already got four of your siblings in Golden Nexotraps--don’t give me that look, let me explain--I don’t want some little shit like Spencer catching you guys and getting killed, so I’m putting you all in Golden Nexotraps and then giving you them once we figure out what we wanna do now that all this has happened.” You said, gesturing vaguely. You could tell Deena was close to catching on to what had actually happened between you and Omnicron, and you really didn’t wanna deal with that just yet.

“And Nara?” He asked, dipping his head towards her.

You shrugged, looking at her. “You wanna? I can let you out right away and hand it back.”

Deena looked up at the pitch-black sky, then seemed to come to a decision. “I don’t think I’m going to be much help when we get to the Frozen Tundra, so just let me out after you’re all done.”

“Lazy!” You teased, pulling her in for a hug. “Thank you for all the help, and I’ll let you out as soon as I can.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She giggled, hugging you back. 

You could tell.

She knew. 

She’d just figured it out.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Y/N.” She murmured, taking a Golden Nexotrap and disappearing. 

Grunda took his and did the same, and then you hunted around in the dark until you found Solus’ Warp Totem. You paused, taking your hand off it.

“We should bundle up. The Tundra gets really bad late at night. Like, worse than what we went through.” You said, pulling out the NexoGuard parka they’d given you. Once you were sufficiently bundled, you looked down at Atlas. “Ready?”

“Can I ask now that Deena’s gone?” He asked, putting his hand on the Warp Totem with you.

“Sure. We’ll walk and talk.” You smiled, disappearing from Solus.

The wind whipped right through you as you appeared in the Frozen Tundra. Visibility was next to nothing, between the blowing snow and pitch-black sky.

“Why is Omnicron in your storage?”

“OKAY. SO.” You started, yelling over the wind as you started walking. You just knew you were going to get lost here, but if you stopped moving you’d just freeze to death. Better lost and alive than frozen to death next to the Totem. “I made a deal with Omnicron. He respected that we were equals in power, and he told me that if I killed him all the Nexomon would go extinct eventually, since apparently his soul is what gives Nexomon life or some shit. So, he’s gonna be the King of Nexomon, and I’m gonna be the Nexolord. After I kick the shit out of James. He better not back out, or I swear to Omnicron I’ll kick his ass for fun.”

“Are you sure this isn’t a trick?” Atlas called, one hand wrapped around your leg so you didn’t lose each other. The light from his screen was the only thing keeping you from dropping into one of the holes in the frozen lakes.

You chatted about this and that, and Atlas told you all about what had happened the first time you’d all gone into the Chasm together. How he and Deena ran for their lives once Ziegler and the other Wardens took you prisoner, and how they’d narrowly avoided being killed by Omnicron as he escaped.

The hours ticked by, and you found yourself growing colder and colder with no sign of James. Your feet had gone numb long ago, and you couldn’t feel the tips of your fingers or nose. The rest of your body was painfully cold, and you were shivering with every step. You didn’t know where you were, but the last dot on Atlas’ chest said you were close to him.

Your head was bowed down to keep the snow from blowing in your face, which caused you to hit the door of the research lab with a ‘thunk.’

“Ooh, you alright?” Atlas asked. You didn’t have the energy to reply, weakly shoving the door open and collapsing onto the ground. Atlas shrieked and spuna round the door, shoving it closed before more snow could blow inside and bury you.

“Y/N! Y/N!” He yelled, shaking you. You curled into a tight ball, shaking. The air inside the lab burned compared to the chill outside, and you felt your eyes watering from the pain. “Come on, you have to get up! You can’t fall asleep!”

Sleep sounded wonderful, actually, but he was right. You knew if you let yourself close your eyes you wouldn’t be able to produce enough energy to warm up. However, you were so sore you couldn’t really move. You’d dropped like a ton of bricks, and it had hurt just to curl into a ball to conserve some body heat. Not that you could relay any of this information to Atlas, though.

You were pretty sure your lips were frozen shut.

So, you just kept your eyes wide open and shook on the floor, right underneath that camera you’d seen the first time you came in here.

Minutes passed. Hours? You couldn’t tell. No matter how hard you shook, you couldn’t seem to warm up. You could feel your fingers and toes again, but all they felt was pain.

Atlas let out a shriek and tugged at your backpack, but the whole thing was frozen shut. Snow had settled on top of it and frozen into one hard lump, trapping all your Nexomon inside.

A shadow settled over you. Vaguely, you could make out hands. Lots of them.

One appeared in your line of vision, and with your last bit of strength you flung your arm out to weakly smack at it.

More arms entered your vision, carefully picking you up while Atlas screamed and slapped at the ones that came too close to him.

Who or whatever this thing was, it held your life in its many, many hands.

Eventually, it also managed to grab a screaming Atlas. It floated through the halls ( _maybe? You were so hazy already…_ ) until finally coming to a stop on one of the higher floors. It set you down on a medical cot, likely used for experimenting when the lab was still active, and set down Atlas next to you. Then, it gently opened your backpack. 

_How did it do that? My backpack was frozen shut…_

You noticed one of its hands was orange and had a fiery design on it. That must’ve been how.

You’d been in here long enough that the ice that had formed on you while you were walking was melting, leaving you cold AND wet now. If you survived this, you were going to have one _hell_ of a cold afterwards.

You saw several Nexotraps in its hands, all regular red ones. It scrutinized them before deciding on one. 

Before that, though, it floated back over you and started taking off your soaked clothes. Eventually, you were down to just your shirt and pants. Your vision was coming in and out of focus, but you did your best to maintain eye contact with the creature. It was a giant floating orb with seven hands, each representing one of the elements.

Finally, it used the Nexotrap it had taken out of your backpack. Carnagrius. It immediately snarled, coming to your defense.

“Wait! Carnagrius!” Atlas yelled, holding out his hands. “I think it’s trying to help us!”

Carnagrius ignored him, but apparently the other Nexomon managed to explain what was going on, because Carnagrius turned around and curled up around you. 

The heat burned, but you knew it was for the best. You were freezing, and it might hurt to get warmed up so quickly, but the alternative was freezing to death. The strange Nexomon picked up Atlas and placed him on the cot with you, then busied itself with running around the lab and bringing back anything it could find. Towels for cleaning up messes, spare sheets for the cots, everything was draped over you until you were in a cocoon of blistering heat.

You finally allowed yourself to fall asleep, face buried in Carnagrius’ soft fur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What the FUCK is that thing?!


	18. Ah. Fuck.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you fuck up.

When you woke up, it was with a shriek. You’d remembered that some giant Nexomon had appeared when you’d fallen inside the laboratory, and not much else. 

So, you were quite surprised to find yourself next to Carnagrius and Atlas, covered in towels, blankets, and a myriad of other things, and completely unharmed.

Carnagrius was immediately on the alert, snarling and looking around for the threat. Atlas’ head was spinning around as he tried to figure out what was going on as well.

“That Nexomon! Where did it go?!” You ask, grab him and stopping his head when it was facing you.

“The bowling ball?”

“Whatever it was! Where the hell is it?!” You yelled. 

As if on cue, it came racing around the corner, prepared for a fight. You slammed yourself back so fast that you hit the wall behind the cot, banging your head again. You were going to get a concussion at this rate.

For some reason, Carnagrius wasn’t trying to tear this thing to shreds. Slowly, you remembered what had happened after it appeared. You let out a shaky breath, shivering from anxiety instead of the cold. 

Upon not finding any threat, Carnagrius crawled back up onto the cot with you and laid down on your lap, staring up at you with confusion. You pet its head, still eyeing the other Nexomon warily. It was now floating just in front of your face, staring with those unblinking eyes.

“You are, hands-down, the scariest motherfucker I’ve ever seen.” You whispered, voice raw from the cold.

“I could say the same about you.” It replied, reaching out with its normal hand to tilt your head around, checking you over. “Are you feeling better?”

You were stunned for a moment, but the second your brain recognized that voice you were swinging. “You BASTARD, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO KILL ME!” You shrieked, tackling who you now knew was Metta to the ground. “I’m gonna kick your ass!”

He laughed, grabbing each of your limbs with one of his hands and effortlessly pulling you off. His voice was glassy and robotic, but still recognizable. “I’m glad you’re ok, you know. You had all of us terrified back there.”

“You had ME terrified! Put me down, you dick!” You flailed uselessly. Atlas giggled from somewhere behind you. “Shut it, you!”

Once you finally stopped struggling, James dropped you back down on the bed. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, you were starting to feel the soreness in your muscles again. 

You groaned and fell back onto Carnagrius, who huffed.

“Alright, how long was I out for? Lay it on me.”

“Mm… about six hours. Also, rude! I am NOT a scary motherfucker!”

“You are a floating orb with six hands. At least the rest of your family is some kind of animal! What the fuck are you supposed to be?!”

You couldn’t really see anything, but from the way he quieted down you could tell he was blushing. “Uh… um… an… angel…” He finished quietly, looking away.

You tried really hard to not laugh. Really,  _ really  _ hard. 

You failed. 

And all your sore muscles paid the price for it. 

Not that you could bring yourself to care right now.

“Awwww! My little guardian angel!!!” You cackled in between groans. “I’m gonna bully the shit out of your dad for this. You all give me such good material.”

“My… Father Omnicron? He’s alive?!” James yelled, detransforming immediately. He pinned you to the cot by your shoulders, getting right up in your face as you giggled. “What the  _ hell  _ is going on?”

“I caught your dad in a Nexotrap and we’re gonna co-rule the world. Speaking of, I need to throw you in a Nexotrap, too. All your siblings are already in my backpack. I’m gonna let everyone out at the tower, since I assume you’ll all appear in your Nexomon bodies. I don’t wanna shred this lab to pieces when I let out Luxa. ...Beep.” You beeped him on the nose when he didn’t respond, staring at you in bewilderment.

“You… convinced _ Father Omnicron, King of Monsters _ , who  _ hates _ humanity more than anything else, to  _ co-rule with you _ ?” He repeated back slowly.

“I mean, co-rule after I kick your ass and officially become the Nexolord. Sorry I’m late, I got a little tied up in the Netherworld.” You kept giggling, watching him grow more and more confused. 

“You are insane.”

Your mouth fell into a flat line instantly. “Ew, don’t remind of Juliet.”

“You met her?”

“Yeah, she said you two were both insane and that meant you were made for each other.”

You stared up at the ceiling, not really wanting to know how he reacted to that.

He started laughing, pressing his forehead down into your shoulder. “Oh, man, I can’t  _ believe  _ she’s still saying that shit! She wouldn’t leave me alone as a kid! Her and Glacia both! They were constantly trying to hang out with me and get me to go on dates with them!”

You continued to stare resolutely at the ceiling.

Eventually, he stopped laughing, and turned his head so he was breathing into the crook of your neck. “What did you say to that?”

“The first time? Nothing.”

“And after that?” You felt him swallow nervously, despite the teasing tone.

“I may have told her about your little three-year obsession with me.” You let the words fall smoothly from your lips, trying to sound as detached as possible.

He smiled. “Oh, really? Anything else?”

“I told her I hated you a little less than that morning because I’d figured out you were trying to bring your dead dad back.” You added, giggling a little at the memory.

“Hated me a little less?”

“Yeah.”

“But still hated me.”

“Oh absolutely. I wanted to kick your ass. I still wanna kick your ass.”

“Do you still hate me?”

“Mmmmm… studies say conflicted. You’re a royal dick, but a great conversationalist. I meant what I said before you summoned your dad, by-the-by.”

“...The kiss?”

“Is that all you remember?”

“I kinda blanked out when you did that, to be perfectly honest.”

You giggled. His hands had moved from pinning your shoulders to loosely wrapped around your neck in an awkward hug. He was very adamant about hiding in your neck, though. You could feel the heat radiating off his face, and if you strained your eyes to the side you could just make out the tip of his ear.

“You know, I always wondered if your ears with turn red if I made you mad enough back then.”

“Are my ears red?”

“Like a firetruck.”

“Shit.”

“You are very easy to read.”

“To  _ you _ , maybe. Why do you think I’m always smirking or barking orders?”

“Is THAT your defense? You smirk because you’re a smarmy asshole, and you bark orders because you’re a  _ mean  _ smarmy asshole.”

“Hey, you have to show those grunts who’s boss!”

“Uh-huh, because they’re so hard to handle otherwise.” You mocked.

“ _ You’re _ the mean one here.”

“Are you two done?” Atlas asked, making you flush bright red as you remembered he was there. “Ellie’s been waiting in the Nexolord’s Tower since last night.”

“Oh shit, wicked. Get in your trap, elf-boy!” You said, dumping him off of you and forcing him to catch himself on the cot before he could hit the floor.

“Mean! Mean mean mean!” He yelled, pulling himself up.

“You haven’t seen true mean! The things Ellie and I talked about doing to you, now THAT was mean!” You said, leaning over the edge of the cot to grab a Golden Nexotrap. “Enjoy baby jail, Mr. Nexolord.”

You dropped him into your backpack and made the extremely painful trek back to the Nexolord’s Tower. As you entered, you released everyone in your backpack. Kitsunox rushed forward and grabbed you as your legs finally,  _ finally  _ gave out.

“I am in an obscene amount of pain!” You said cheerily as he hooked your arm over his shoulders. “I don’t think I can walk any more!”

Ellie rolled over to your side and told Kitsunox to lay you down on her lap. Your head rested not-quite-comfortable on one of the armrests.

“Hi Ellie.”

“Hi Y/N.”

“What’s up?”

“The King of Monsters just came out of that Nexotrap.”

“Yep.”

“Care to explain? I think I figured most of it out, but I wanna hear it from you.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Well, I beat him up, then we both got stuck in some all-white dimension.”

“Yes, we saw both of you disappear when that happened.”

“Cool. He gave me a whole dramatic speech about how if I killed him all the Nexomon would die, since he’s their life source.”

“Fascinating. Go on.”

“So I told him to shut the fuck up and offered him a deal. I would rule over humanity as the Nexolord once I beat up James, which still hasn’t happened, and he would rule over the Nexomon as King of Monsters. Either that or I would stick him in a Golden Nexotrap and call it a day.”

“Wonderful. Did it ever cross your mind that he might be bullshitting you and planning how to overthrow you?”

“Yes. To that, I say Kitsunox will kick his ass in two hits. Also, we have a problem.”

“Bigger than you not destroying Omnicron’s soul?”

“No, of course not. Glacia’s stuck in the Netherworld. The Wardens took her prisoner in my place.”

“Fabulous. You’re going to rescue her, aren’t you?”

“I feel obligated to, yes. Also, I won’t pass up on another opportunity to kick Ziegler’s ass.”

“You are impossible to understand, Bolts.”

“I try, Nuts. Also, question: How is everyone reacting to that? I would turn my head, but my neck feels like it’s one wrong move from snapping.”

“They are staring at you like you’re the biggest idiot in the world.”

“Good, all according to plan.” You stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the two members of the NexoGuard outside would say. They’d apparently sent people in the day before to find any extra tech James had hidden away, but you’d gotten there before the new shift could show up for the morning. 

It was roughly 7:30am. 

Still too early to be awake by any sane Nexomon tamer’s standards, and you were starting to feel it.

“Hey James, does this place have guest rooms, or do y’all just not sleep?” You called out after a while.

Wordlessly, Ellie started rolling the two of you after him. Your team followed, looking around at the now-empty Tower with wonder. All the hostile Nexomon that had been there before had cleared out, leaving the place a quiet shell.

Ellie hefted you onto the bed in the room James had led you to.

“Hey, James?” You asked, staring at the canopy of the bed.

“Yeah…?”

“What the fuck am I doing in your bedroom, you cheeky fuck?” You couldn’t see him, but you just knew his face was bright red.

You heard Ellie smack him, probably on the arm.

“It’s the most comfortable room in the Tower! Sue me for wanting you to be comfortable!”

“No, I think I’ll sue you for being the most obvious flirt in the world. Clear out, you freaks. I’m going to pass out until my body stops trying to rip itself apart. Ellie, you can stay if you want. Kitsunox, guard the door.” You ordered. Eventually, the room quieted down. All your Nexomon had crawled up onto the bed and were laying on some part of your body, save Kitsunox. Even Luhava was resting his massive head on one of your arms.

After a while, you found yourself drifting to sleep.

You felt a heavy weight on your chest. Had to be Ellie. She’d probably slept over at your house last night, not that you could remember anything besides your insane dream right now. “Ellie. Ellie. I had. The WIERDEST. Fucking. Dream.”

“Mm?” Came the sleepy reply. It was to your left, which should’ve been strange, but you were too sleepy-brained to care. Your eyes were still closed, to. “What was it?”

“I went on this long-ass adventure all over the world and beat up Omnicron. He was a giant blue dog. Also, you built a robot. But that’s not the weird part.”

You heard rustling to your left, but the weight on your chest didn’t move at all. Weird, but you still weren’t going to do anything about it.

“What was the weird part?”

“I think it made me fall in love with the Nexolord. Fucking. WILD. I would NEVER.”

You heard choking noises, and finally you opened your eyes. 

This room was dark blue.

And definitely not yours.

“Y/N, I want you to take a good look around and tell me what that dream was about one more time.” Ellie said, leaning over you.

You dared a glance down, and sleeping on your chest was Kitsunox. Your Kitsunox. That you stole from the Nexolord.

Which was not a dream.

“Okay so I’m gonna go have Luhava throw me into the ocean, see ya later!” You said hurriedly, getting up and dumping all your sleeping Nexomon off your various body parts. The choking noise was coming from James himself, who had somehow gotten into the room along with every other Child of Omnicron and the entire Alliance. You stepped around all of them, signalling Luhava to follow. “Come on, we got a whole lot of flying to do! I want my neck to snap the second I hit the water, so you’re gonna have to go up reeeeeeal high!”

“Wait! Wait!” James choked out. Ellie was cackling from where she’d hauled herself up onto the bed to sleep.

“Nope! I’ve got a date with destiny! The universe didn’t punish me for not killing Omnicron so I gotta take care of that myself, too!” You said, finally escaping the room. You started hauling ass down the hallway, hearing footsteps following. Luhava caught up beside you and you easily hopped onto his back, not missing a single step.

He started soaring through the halls, but unfortunately you heard the tell-tale sound of one of the Children transforming, and suddenly you were being plucked off Luhava’s back and restrained by seven giant hands.

“Fuck! Luhava!” You shrieked, face flushed bright pink. “LUHAVAAAAAA!”

“Hey, hey, stop screaming!” Metta laughed, straining to keep you from kicking or punching him as you, once again, flailed uselessly in his arms. “Would you like to repeat that last part of your dream again? I’m  _ very  _ interested.”

“LUHAVAAAAA! SAVE ME!” You shrieked, then suddenly got an idea. “KITSUNOOOOOOOOOOOX!!!”

The fox came tearing through the hallway, snatched you out of Metta’s hands, and then you were out the door and running for the Warp Totem.

“WAIT!” He yelled. You slapped a hand out and hit it while running, and then you were in Khan Woods. 

Alone.

You still couldn’t pull your Nexomon through the Warp Totem with you.

You just got as far away from the Totem as you could, ripping through the jungle with alarming speed. You had no Nexomon, but you could easily just trap and release anything that wanted to attack you. You may have over-purchased just a bit…

Eventually, you stopped running. You were deep in the woods now. No signs of human life anywhere, just how you wanted.

You slumped against a tree and let out the scream that had been building ever since you made  _ that  _ little oopsie.

After that, you decided you would lay in the dirt until you were eventually taken over by moss.

Yeah. That felt like the right thing to do in this situation.

You didn’t know how long you laid there, but eventually you got hungry and started back for civilization. It was not difficult to figure out where you’d come from. There were broken plants literally everywhere.

You took the Warp Totem to Palmaya and dropped into Hendrick’s restaurant, which was already under new management. 

“Oh! The Nexolord!” Someone yelled, and suddenly you were being swarmed.

You ordered, then sat down at the bar and answered everyone’s questions until your food came. Most were some variation of ‘how do you feel’ or ‘how did you beat Omnicron,’ which were easy enough to answer.

The people calmed down once your food came and you were allowed to eat in peace, just making small talk with the bartender and a few persistent patrons.

Finally, you left. You meandered around the beach for a long time, wasting more time before you had to go back and face whatever had just happened.

Every time you thought about it your face turned a deep scarlet.

You were sitting on the beach, toes in the water, staring at the sunset when you were finally discovered. 

“There you are! Asshole! We’ve been looking for you all day!” Came the familiar yell of your best friend.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, I’m just a random beach-going citizen. Just a regular dude. I don’t even have Nexomon.” You said, resolutely ignoring her.

Atlas rolled up on one side, giving you the stink-eye.

You ignored them both, sipping on the drink you’d brought to-go from the restaurant. It was tropical, and that was all you knew about it.

“I swear to Omnicron if you weren’t my best friend I would call James and tell him to come get you right now.” She hissed.

“YOU WOULDN’T DARE!” You yelled, whipping around and clenching your drink in a death-grip.

“I MIGHT! DON’T TEST ME!” She yelled back.

You groaned and flopped backwards into the sand, muttering a very colorful string of words to yourself.

“Seriously, major dick move. We had no idea where you were! You didn’t even take any Nexomon with!”

“I have traps, you know.” You mumbled.

“I don’t give a shit, what if you’d gotten hurt?!” 

“I drop kicked a grunt and broke his ribs. I don’t think just anyone would hurt me. Besides, you guys are the only ones that knew I didn’t have my Nexomon on me.” You replied listlessly. You’d been thinking about changing your name, dying your hair, and hiding in one of the destroyed Parum buildings for the rest of your life. Just be a mysterious old hermit. Never face anyone again. It would’ve been great!

“You’re an asshole.”

“Yeah, and?”

“And I’m mad at you.”

“I’m madder.”

“At me?”

“Yes, clearly, at you. You’re the one who told James about my dream-that-wasn’t-a-dream.” You said sarcastically. 

Ellie started giggling again. “Ok, that was pretty hilarious. Also, how dare you fall in love with our mortal enemy? Who am I going to turn into a stinky little Mustino and let loose in a pit of Wiselie now?”

“Me, ideally.” 

“Ooh, no-can-do my friend, looks like I just ran out of space on the sign-up form. Looks like you’ll just have to come back with us to the Tower.”

“But the sunset’s so pretty!” You complained, throwing a hand up to point at it. “Back me up, Atlas.”

“No, I’m mad at you too!” He pouted. Or, he tried to through the giggles. Both of them were clearly enjoying your suffering.

“At least let me finish my drink.”

“It looks good. Gimme a sip!” Ellie reached for it and you passed it to her. “What flavor is this?”

“Tropical!” You said, making air quotes. “I have no idea, but you can ask the bartender before we leave.”

“Oh thank Omnicron you’re actually on board with coming back. I thought I was gonna have to have Atlas drag you back kicking and screaming.”

“I’m stupid and impulsive, but I don’t have a death wish. Well, I do, but death by Atlas is NOT the way to go.” You hummed around your straw, slowly sipping until there was nothing but air. 

The straw made a slurping sound, starting everyone. “Ah, fuck. I should’ve slowed down.” 

“Nope! Now come on, let’s head back!” Ellie grinned, hauling you off the ground.

“Woah, wait, didn’t you wanna ask the bartender what flavor this thing was?!”

“Nope! I’ll figure it out later! You have a date with destiny!”

“Atlas I’m begging you don’t make me go back, I will change your batteries, I will fix your oil, I will polish and buff you body, I swear to all that is sacred DO NOT MAKE ME DO THIS!” You yelled as Ellie dragged you along behind her wheelchair. Unfortunately, Atlas was helping her pull. “Noooooo, guuuuuyyyyys!” 

It was no use, but you decided to be a petty little bitch and make them drag you the whole way. That was a very dumb move on your part, because that meant getting dragged through the snow all the way back to the Tower.

“Guys, we’re back! We found Y/N!” Ellie yelled, both into the Tower and into a walkie talkie. Abruptly, the room was filled with flashes of light as people teleported back. They were all grinning cheekily at you from where you were laying on the floor. You refused to acknowledge anyone.

“Welp, I don’t know about any of you, but now that our dear Nexolord-to-be is safe and sound, I’m heading back to Parum! Someone has to lead the reconstruction effort!” Remus said. Everyone else sounded their approval, and in even MORE flashes of light they were all gone. 

“I’m gonna murder every single one of you.” You whispered into the mostly-empty room.

“Shut it, you’re the one that made us go on a wild goose chase for the entire day. Where were you, anyways?!”

“Khan Woods. Surprisingly good hiding spot, can and will use it in the future if the need arises.” You replied smoothly.

“Great, I’ll send everyone there first then.” Ellie said. “I’m going to go eat a late fucking lunch now, no thanks to you.”

“Don’t leeeeeave meeeeeeeeeee!” You wailed as you heard her wheels get further and further away. Then you were alone, laying on the tile.

You repeated that last part to yourself in your mind, refusing to look at the corner where James was leaning, staring at you. Alone. Alone, alone, alone, nobody else there, just you and the tile.

“You going to lay on that tile for the rest of the day?” He asked.

“Yes. I’m going to lay right here until that big chandelier up there falls and crushed me. This is a good plan, and I am very mature.”

“Mature enough to go running into the woods for twelve hours?”

“Nine hours. I ate dinner in Palmaya and sat on the beach for two hours.”

“You didn’t eat for nine hours?”

“Adrenaline is the only food I need.”

“You were certainly putting up more of a fight than that time in the lab. How are you, by the way? Still sore.”

“Extremely. Are we going to continue ignoring the Amphant in the room, or are you going to try to force  _ me  _ to bring it up? I’ve been told I’m very stubborn.”

James walked over to you and laid down on the tile, staring up at the ceiling with you. “You  _ are  _ very stubborn. You got your first Nexomon the day you fought Father Omnicron the first time.”

“And I’ll do it again. I am an unstoppable force of chaos. Speaking of chaos, when my limbs are no longer trying to detach from my body, we need to have our battle.”

“You’re serious? I can just give you the--”

“NO. I am going to kick your ass in a Nexomon battle the proper way. You should’ve fought me that first day, before I rebirthed everyone. Kitsunox can two-punch your dad.”

“Do the terms still stand?”

“Huh?”

“If I win, you have to go out to dinner with me. That’s what we agreed on.”

“You’re definitely not going to win.”

“Mmm, not if I use my regular team. I’m sure I can get my family to answer the call, though. They seemed pretty gung-ho on it after your little announcement this morning.”

“Yeah, how the FUCK did you all get in there?”

“I sweet-talked Kitsunox and said the flashing lights from a teleportation would wake you up.”

“You’re evil.”

“The worst. And you’re in love with me.”

“Do NOT remind me.”

“That’s not a denial! Score one for James.” He pumped his fist in the air and you started rolling away from him on the tiles. “Heeeyyyy!!” 

He whined and started rolling after you, eventually ending when you ran into the wall and he pinned you there.

“Hi.”

“Go away.”

“Nah, I think I like it here.”

You were both positioned so that your face was in his chest. He wrapped that obnoxiously large coat around the both of you and waited. You sat there until you felt his breathing slow down. A quick glance at your phone told you it was almost midnight, and that he was definitely asleep. You wriggled out from between him and the wall, hoisted him into your arms, and carried him back to his room. 

And you definitely didn’t blush when he snuggled into your neck on the way.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

You eventually made it up there and set him down on the bed. Your Nexomon were all still in here, some of them already having fallen asleep again. Kitsunox pulled you into a hug once you’d set James down.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m sorry I’m a stupid bitch.” You whispered, giggling into his fur.

He pulled back and shook his head, then patted yours.

“Ah. I get it. You aren’t mad about the running away, you’re just happy I’m not dead.”

He nodded, then crawled into the bed and patted the spot next to him.

“You’re just gonna use me as a giant pillow again.” You muttered, sliding in next to him.

He did precisely that.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Your last thought of the night was wondering where the hell Ellie had gone, since she clearly wasn’t sleeping in this room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's your daily dose of second-hand embarrassment, you heathens. I hope the fluff didn't rot your teeth too bad >;3


	19. Loose Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you realize you need to tie some things up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Hello, Jess here! Sorry I went off for a few days, I've been catching up on homework since I had COVID at the start of the year :3 I'm fine, don't worry, it was a very mild case and I'm fully recovered. Hopefully once I'm all caught up I can start churning out words at an unholy rate again!)

Somehow, Ellie was next to you and Kitsunox was laying on top of you again when you woke up. The only difference was that James was now on your other side.

You really needed to stop waking up first.

As you laid there, you made a checklist of shit you had to do.

Priority number one: Beat James and become the Nexolord, for realsies.

Priority number two: Figure out where the hell your parents were. You hadn’t seen them since your Nightmare-parents had ripped you a new one over breakfast.

Priority number three: Get Glacia out of the Netherworld, figure out how to strike a deal with the Wardens.

Priority number four: Figure out a plan with Omnicron for re-introducing him to the humans and explaining the new ruling positions.

You thought those numbers might be a little mixed up, but that was the order you’d thought of them in. You figured your parents were in the NexoGuard’s protective custody, after that whole fiasco with the resurrection machines. It would explain them not contacting you.

After waiting a few more minutes for anyone to wake up, you decided to just go back to sleep. You woke up about an hour later when Ellie crawled out of bed and back into her wheelchair. 

“Oh, good, someone else is alive. Finally.” You mumbled, gently rolling Kitsunox down into the spot where she’d just been. However, when you tried to sit up, you quickly found yourself pulled back down.

“Nooooo…”

You looked down, but James was definitely still asleep despite the mumbling. Somehow, he’d managed to grab your arm in his sleep, and was now locking it in a death grip.

Ellie was furiously trying to stop herself from laughing behind her hands, and you glared at her.

“Help me you asshole!”

“No, no, it’s cute! You should lay back down! Sleep in!” She managed between chuckles, slowly wheeling backwards out of the room.

You hissed curses at her until the door closed. The second you laid back down, Kitsunox and James were both cuddling up next to you.

“I’m gonna kill her.” You whispered to yourself. You continued to make angry clicking noises until Kitsunox sleepily slapped a paw over your face. Luckily, at that point your salvation appeared... in the form of Deena knocking on the door.

“Are you going to get up at all today?”

The door cracked open and you shook off Kitsunox’s paw, hissing, “Help. Me.”

Deena, an older sibling, saw the opportunity and took it. “YOU BASTARD!” She shrieked, launching herself at her younger brother and wrestling him to the ground. “GET OFF OF THEM YOU PERVERT!”

James, understandably, screamed as he was rudely awakened. 

“FREEDOOOOOOOOOOM!” You yelled, careening out of the room. “I’M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS ELLIE!”

You ignored the sounds of giant Nexomon sibling-on-sibling violence, figuring that Kitsunox would handle it. What you did NOT know was that James had faked being asleep last night, and that he and Kitsunox had a heated glare-off that ended with Kitsunox crawling on top of you again so that James couldn’t get near you. 

Don’t-touch-my-tamer aside, you made a good pillow.

As you ran through the halls and realized that Kitsunox wouldn’t be stopping that battle any time soon, you figured out that Ellie was long gone. She’d probably pulled the same move you did yesterday, but for an entirely different reason. You whistled for Luhava and told sky-grandpa that you two were going on an adventure. But first, you needed Atlas.

You picked him up and shot out of the front doors of the Tower just in time, because about half a second after Luhava took off, Nara and Metta crashed through the front door. Kitsunox ran out after them, and you could clearly tell he was rooting for Nara. You had Luhava hover for a bit while you watched them crash around the courtyard, and then got bored.

“Alright, let’s go find Ellie.”

“My sensors indicate she’s somewhere in Palmaya!”

“The restaurant! She’s probably asking the bartender about the fucking drink!”

Luhava spread his massive wings and took off. You were at Palmaya within a half hour.

Against literally _everyone’s_ better judgement, as soon as you were even remotely close to the ground you launched yourself off of Luhava’s back, landing in a roll on the sand to the shrieks of all the islanders. You dusted off and strolled into the restaurant, spotting Ellie hiding at one corner of the bar. You slid into the seat next to her and ordered the same drink you’d had yesterday, then turned to her.

“So.”

“So.”

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

Ellie snorted and curled in on herself, trying not to draw any more attention than you’d already gotten. “I dunno, you looked pretty cozy!”

“Deena had to come rescue me. She tackled James out of the bed.” You took a long sip from your drink once the bartender put it down, gently shooing curious onlookers away from you.

Ellie gaped. “No way. Awwwww, I should’ve stayed then! I would’ve PAID to watch that happen.”

“He screamed. It was genuinely hilarious! I’m betting they’re still trying to beat the shit out of each other back at the Tower.”

The universe conspired to prove you wrong, and so immediately after you said that, a flash of light appeared just behind the two of you.

Nara was dangling a wildly-thrashing Metta from her jaws and gazing intently at you. The restaurant was deathly silent as all the patrons froze in fear.

“Are you two enjoying yourselves?” You asked, turning around and leaning back against the bar. You crossed one leg over the other and took a drink, not breaking eye contact.

“N-Nexolord, what a-are--?”

“Don’t worry, they’re with me. You’re all fine.” You raised a hand and waved nonchalantly. Then you returned your attention to Nara and Metta. “Is there something you two need? I’m having a lovely chat with Ellie right now about how she ABANDONED me this morning.”

Ellie had been slowly wheeling away, so you stuck out your foot and caught it on the bar of the wheelchair. Her face turned bright pink.

Metta suddenly managed to break free and _bolted_ out of the restaurant. 

“Let him go. Or don’t, I don’t really care.” You shrugged.

Nara hesitated, and just before she was about to leave as well, Luhava peeked through the archway. Metta was now dangling from _his_ beak. Atlas was still sitting on his back, hanging on for dear life.

You’d never helped him down.

“We got your little friend!”

You rolled your eyes and got up, releasing Ellie’s wheelchair. “I swear I’m going to throw you all in Nexotraps for a night just so I can sleep normally. Luhava, drop it. Don’t play with your food. Also, Metta is _not_ food.”

Nara teleported away as you and Ellie left with your drinks. “I’m genuinely amazed that your dad isn’t here right now bitching out Nara for picking on you. I would’ve figured you’d be a total daddy’s boy.”

Metta just floated in front of you silently. You realized you could say pretty much whatever you wanted right now and he wouldn’t be able to respond without giving away who he was to everyone else around here.

“Oh, by the by, your loyal minions may have given me something of yours.” You felt around in your pocket for the key. You knew exactly where it went, and you were positive Juliet would be furious that it was now in your possession. You turned to Ellie and whispered where to meet you and Luhava.

Metta was circling you two slowly, trying to figure out what you could possibly have of his that the grunts would’ve given you.

You hopped back up onto Luhava’s back. “Alright, we’re gonna race! If you can beat me to the spot, I’ll give you it back.”

He started making ‘what???’ gestures with his arms and you laughed. 

“Three, two, one… GO!”

Luhava shot off for the Frozen Tundra with you steering the ribbon-like appendages he had on his face.

Once you were going fast enough that Metta wouldn’t be able to hear you over the wind, you whispered the actual location in Luhava’s ear and sat back, letting him do the navigation. 

Metta, however, was more busy thinking about how _right_ you looked right now than figuring out where you were racing to. Wind whipping at your clothes, a smile stretched across your face, and determination in your eye.

You looked stunning. 

He pulled up right alongside Luhava, straining to keep up. He wasn’t exactly built for speed, and he knew that.

Good thing you hadn’t laid out any rules for the race.

He banked hard into Luhava, detransforming and landing across his back. You shrieked at the sudden dip as Luhava readjusted.

“Cheater!”

“I don’t remember there being any rules against this.” He grinned cheekily, slowly managing to sit upright instead of being stretched out over Luhava’s back.

“We could just push him off.” Atlas said helpfully. You tapped your chin, considering it.

Unfortunately, you took long enough for James to firmly wrap himself around you. “Nope! If I go down, Y/N’s coming with me.”

“I’ve never been skydiving before.”

“Y/N, _no_.” Atlas scolded. He turned his glare onto James. “And you!”

James had stretched out along Luhava’s back, essentially forcing you to lay on top of him from the way he was holding you. He was currently smirking over your shoulder at Atlas, taunting him.

“Y/N could do WAY better than you.” He hissed. 

You barked out a laugh, startling Luhava. “Fucking RUTHLESS! Ellie really did make you the third friend we never had. Perfect trio!”

Atlas preened at the praise, throwing his own smirk back at James.

“On the one hand, Y/N could get literally anyone they want. On the other haaaand…” He sang, tightening his hold on you just a bit more. “We’re the strongest tamers in the world, AND I’m the one currently holding them. _Checkmate, scrap metal_.”

You cackled as they traded insults, slowly becoming away that Luhava was now circling the drop zone. You forced your laughter to continue, using it as an opportunity to push up and off of James’ chest until you were free.

At the flip of a switch, you stopped laughing, grabbed Atlas, and dove.

Atlas shrieked the entire fall. Luhava had given you plenty of drop time and was currently zooming away from you with James still on his back. Once he managed to throw him off, Luhava doubled back and caught you both in his talons, slowing your descent and then setting you gently on the ground. James, now transformed into Metta, was furiously racing towards your position.

You quickly slid the old key into its lock and got inside, re-locking the door before he could get in. 

You were correct. The grunts had given you the key to James’ old house.

“ARE YOU INSANE?” Atlas yelled, digital sweat dripping down his display. “I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO DIE.”

“Hey, I had a plan! You’ve been around me long enough--”

“FOUR DAYS. FOUR DAYS TOTAL.”

“LONG. ENOUGH. To know that I always have a plan.”

The door behind you slammed as James rammed it with his shoulder. You moved over to one of the windows to watch him try to break into his own house, giving a shit-eating grin. 

“LET. ME. IN.”

“Finders keepers! You CLEARLY haven’t been in here forever.”

“Y/N…” He said dangerously, moving to stare at you through the window. You twirled the key on your finger, grinning at him for a few more moments before turning around and heading into the basement. 

Atlas looked around at the dirt floor, disgusted. “This place is literally just a cave.” He paused then, head suddenly spinning around. “Hey, wait a minute, I can detect a Nexonium crystal down here!”

You looked at him in surprise, jiggling your backpack. “Another one? I still haven’t sold any of the ones I got in the Nightmare.”

“Yes, another one! Come on, let’s find it!”

You weaved through the winding hallway, eventually breaking into an actual, honest-to-Omnicron cave. 

You heard the door opening upstairs as you pulled the Nexonium crystal out of the ground. This one was outright massive, and would probably be able to keep you and everyone else in the Nexolord Tower well-fed for months.

Arms wrapped around you from behind. 

“Are you having fun?”

“Tons. Your basement is a fucking CAVE.”

James slowly started dragging you back towards the stairs. You tried digging your heels into the ground, but it was frozen solid (like everything else in the Frozen Tundra).

“What, do you have something embarrassing hidden away in here? Atlas, go search the house!”

“Oh no you don’t!”

He kept one arm around you and hoisted you off the ground, using the other to grab Atlas by the rim of his body unit.

You instinctively reached behind you to hang onto James for support. “How fucking strong are you?!”

“Strong enough to hold a troublesome human and their pet robot hostage.”

You would be lying to yourself if you hadn’t ogled his arms a few times over the years. Back then, that would’ve been the only positive you could name about him. The smirk had really just ruined everything. But that black tank top…

When your brain processed that he wasn't about to drop you, you started using your arms to try to break free. “Lemme go! You lost the race!”

“Yes, speaking of, care to tell me exactly which grunts thought it would be a good idea to give you the key to my house?”

You stopped at that, going relatively limp in his arms as your brain fogged with confusion. “You realize they all wear the exact same uniform and face masks, right? Like, that’s the outfit that you gave them?”

“They have IDs. Have you never looked at their tags?”

You were now almost halfway up the stairs, and an idea struck you. You were still pretty sore from the past 2 weeks, but you could still break someone’s ribs if you needed to.

You threw your entire bodyweight forward and braced yourself to go crashing down the stairs. James didn’t even flinch, continuing to haul you up. 

“Nice try.”

“Damnit. Hey, Atlas, you still got that Nexocore?”

“Yeaaaah…? The bomb used up all its power.” He said, confused.

You blinked a few times. “Right. Shit.”

“Were you going to have him bomb me?”

“I am an agent of chaos. We still need to battle.”

“And yet, here you are, wasting time breaking into my house--”

“I USED A KEY!”

“MY KEY.”

“...still not breaking in…” You mumbled to yourself as he hauled you out the front door. You noticed a book resting on top of the broken fridge. “IS THAT A DIARY?!”

A wave of adrenaline coursed through you and in one of your finest moments, you elbowed James right in the gut and broke free as he doubled over, wheezing. You snatched the book off the top of the fridge and then you and Atlas bolted up the stairs. The top floor was just his bedroom, which you would’ve been more excited about if you weren’t currently trying to haul his bed over the top of the stairs to block it off.

You just barely made it, and the bed thumped as James tried to move it from below. The book was a deep blue with no writing on the top or spine. You hummed to yourself, flipping through the pages for a moment before handing it off to Atlas. He’d had the scientists upgrade him with a teleporter, so he immediately disappeared for the Tower. 

You grabbed a different book off the shelf in the bedroom and made yourself comfy on the extremely dusty and gross bed. You’d had worse.

Bit by bit, James was moving the bed off the stairway. You watched his hands appear on the side of the bed, and then he was hauling himself up. He was bright red from exertion. You chose to ignore him, flipping through the physics book you assumed he’d gotten on Malk’s recommendation back in the early stages of planning the resurrection machine.

He was panting hard and glaring at you, but you ignored him until you finished the page. 

“Oh, hey, didn’t see you there.” You smiled, closing the book and turning to face him. “Can I get you something?”

He gave you a sarcastic smile. “My journal would be lovely.”

“I’ll add it to the list of things you can have back after our battle.”

“You are, without a doubt, the biggest thorn in my side that has ever existed.”

“Worse than Ulzar?”

“So much worse.”

You leaned forward on your elbows, keeping up the innocent grin. “Aww, it’s ok. You’ll hate me even more when you find out how Ellie and I used to talk about you.”

“All glowing reviews, I’m sure.” He hauled himself all the way up now, laying down on the bed and catching his breath.

“Ew, nasty. Get off of there.” You scolded, cupping his cheek and pulling him up onto your shoulder. “Don’t eat the dust.”

“Where’s Atlas?”

“Oh, you’re noticing that just now?”

“You gave him my journal, didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question.

“If you tell me all your juicy secrets now, you can steal that satisfaction from Atlas.” You teased.

James hid his face in your neck. “I don’t think I will.”

“Come on, they can’t be that bad.”

“Most of it is my plan for the world after Father Omnicron wiped out the humans. And a lot of notes on human development.”

“Oh, right, Juliet and Glacia said you grew up with them! Awwwwww, baby James!”

“No, not aww. Being a human child is awful.”

“Baby James, baby James!” You laughed into his ear.

“You’re insufferable.”

“You gave my house mini-earthquakes for three years and tried to kill all of humanity.”

“ALMOST all of humanity. We would’ve convinced Father Omnicron to spare you.”

“Ooh, goody, I get to be the last human in the world. What was your plan for when I turned bitter after you killed all my family and friends?”

“Mmmmmm….”

“That’s what I thought.” You pushed him off and jumped down onto the stairs, looking up through the uncovered portion at him. “Come oooooooon, it’s cold as shit here and I need to get my team ready for our fight. We’re late as shit.”

“You really wanna do it today?”

“I need to start ticking shit off my list. Glacia’s still trapped in the Netherworld, my parents still aren’t contacting me, I need to see Hilda and Khan, I’ve got a full fuckin’ schedule!” You listed off.

James hopped off the bed and out of view. You watched as the bed was slowly pulled off the rest of the stairs.

“You should clean this place up. Make it a lil guest house or something.” 

You both exited the house and hopped back onto Luhava, discussing the fight all the way back to the Tower.

“I _will_ defeat you and make you go out to dinner with me.”

“In your dreams! We might both be the Nexolord right now, but you’re nowhere NEAR my team in strength!”

“You haven’t even seen my team!”

“You’ve never been to the Netherworld! Your Nexomon aren’t reborn!”

“You don’t know that!”

“Do too!”

“Do not!”

“GET A ROOM!” Zetta yelled from around the corner. A shoe came flying towards the both of you and you caught it, firing it back. 

You heard a satisfying smack and an “Ow.”

“Says the Child of Omnicron that wanted me to be his PET in his Nightmare!” You called back.

“Let it go!”

“NEVER.”

Zetta was rubbing his shoulder as he walked around the corner, shit-eating grin on his face as per usual. “I heard you had an interesting morning, oh great-and-powerful Nexolord.”

“Don’t make me throw another shoe at you, Zetta.” You warned. James had gone eerily silent, and you could feel him radiating heat.

Zetta slung an arm around your shoulder, smoothly pulling you away from James. “I heard from Deena that our little bro here--”

“That Ellie abandoned me, Kitsunox and James trapped me, and Deena had to come rescue me?”

“Well that’s boring.” Zetta sighed, continuing to walk you further and further from a still bright-red James. “I was gonna say that James was getting cozy with you in bed.”

You ducked instinctively as James launched himself at Zetta. The two wrestled on the floor as you left to go collect the rest of your Nexomon. Luhava was already in the front hall, ready to go. 

You found Kitsunox in the kitchen drinking coffee (oh no) and staring out the window.

“James is getting his ass kicked in the front lobby. Also, Luhava’s down there. We’re gonna have that fight so I can finally be the Nexolord.” You said, sidling up beside him.

From the looks of it, Kitsunox’s coffee was more sugar and cream than anything else. “Who gave you that, by the way?”

“I did. You want a cup?” Merida asked, turning the corner with her own mug and a newspaper. “You look like you could use it, after the morning you had.”

You shrugged. “Eh, I’m already pretty awake. How are you feeling?”

She shrugged back. “Fine. I’m glad Father Omnicron is still alive. Thank you, by the way, even though I don’t think this is going to end well.”

“We’ve still got a long way to go, so I’m hopeful.” The three of you stared out the window and watched the snow fall until Kitsunox finished his coffee, setting the mug in the sink and heading off into a hallway, presumably to get Felicient and the rest of your team.

“Kitsunox says you’re gonna kick James’ ass today?” Merida hummed into her mug. You nodded. “Good. He deserves to be taken down a few rungs.”

“I think I did that when I beat up your dad. Twice.”

“Yeeeeaaaah… he got you on that second fight, though.” She giggled.

“Only cuz Ziegler threw me in a Nightmare before I could catch him! I swear, if I could remember that first trip into the Chasm--”

Merida turned suddenly, gaping at you. “You don’t remember?”

You shook your head. “Ziegler wiped my original memories of the Chasm so I wouldn’t recognize the Nightmare. I was hoping they’d come back by now, but I guess not.”

“Aww, babe, that’s awful!” Merida said, pulling you into an awkward side hug. “I’m sorry.”

“Eh, Kitsunox filled me in on some of it when I asked. I’ll have to get one of you guys to relay it to me. Probably Deena or Atlas, since I assume they were with me the whole time.”

Merida nodded, releasing you. “Yeah, Deena said you were being really stubborn about fighting Father Omnicron alone.”

“Are we talking the Chasm again?” Fona asked, walking in and grabbing his own cup of coffee. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.

“Yeah, apparently Y/N doesn’t remember anything.” Merida replied.

“Doesn’t matter. Go grab the rest of your siblings and your bitch of a father, I’m gonna go beat James up.” You waved over your shoulder as you left the kitchen, heading down to the lobby where your team was waiting. 

They were all very calmly staring at the ceiling, where Metta and Luxa were still busy beating the hell out of each other.

Ah, siblings.

You sat down between Kitsunox and Felicient, using Luhava as a backrest. “They really haven’t stopped, have they? Any bets?”

Felicient meowed and flicked her tail towards Luxa, and the rest of your team immediately seconded her. You nodded as well. “Unless James actually manages to use his ribbons well, he’s got no chance. Zetta is just... way too giant.”

The rest of the Children made their way into the hall, egging on their little brothers until Omnicron finally lumbered in. He didn’t say anything about the overhead brawl, instead coming over to lay down next to you.

“We all think Luxa’s gonna kick Metta’s ass. Also, how ya feelin’?” You asked, glancing over at him.

He stayed quiet for a while. “Metta has much to learn from his older siblings. I am… better, now.”

“You look a lot less beat up.”

“Your team is quite talented, when aided by Nara.”

“I feel like, at the very least, Kitsunox and Felicient would’ve stayed with me. Between the three of us, there’s just a little too much uncontrollable rage.”

“Care to make a wager?”

“You GAMBLE?!” You shouted, accidentally catching Luxa and Metta’s attention. “HELL YEAH I WANNA WAGER THAT SHIT! Wait, I should ask, are you two comfortable with that?”

You turned to look at Kitsunox and Felicient as they both nodded vigorously.

“Sick. YEAH LET’S BET!!! What the fuck are we betting?” You tilted your head, curious. You had no idea what Omnicron would even have to bet with.

“Loser has to go deal with the Wardens.” Thinking about it for a moment, it made sense that he would want to seek some sort of revenge or make a deal with the creatures responsible for imprisoning him. Twice.

“Hmmmmm…. I mean, I’ll have to deal with them anyway when I go fish Glacia out of her Nightmare, but if you lose I can make you tag along for funsies and intimidation!”

“For… funsies… and intimidation?”

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

“Are you two gambling?” Zetta laughed, landing lightly on his feet as he detransformed.

Kitsunox nodded sharply as you replied. “Yeah, we wanna see if Felicient and Kitsunox can withstand your dad’s influence without Deena helping!”

“Oh, this I gotta see!! We told you they were fun, Father Omnicron!” Zetta gave you and Omnicron a thumbs up and a wide grin.

“They are certainly… interesting. I can admit I have never met a human willing to broker deals with our kind.” His voice rumbled through the hall.

You got up and stretched out. “We can deal with that later. James, go get your team! I’m kicking your ass today.”

He looked up from where he’d been leaning against the wall. You’d expected some sort of fear or resignation, but he was smirking again. “Oh, I’ve already got my team.”

You narrowed your eyes, head tilting slightly. “You seem awfully cocky for someone who doesn’t even have reborn Nexomon.”

He chuckled a bit, intriguing you further. What the hell was his game _now_?

“Why use Nexomon that have only been reborn once when I have six in this room who’ve gone through it twice?”

Zetta’s head whipped around faster than any humanoid creature should’ve been capable of. You were very suddenly thankful that he was actually a Nexomon, because otherwise you were positive he would’ve just snapped his neck like a toothpick. “Lil bro. Listen. I love you like family--”

“We are family.”

“--but I am NOT facing down that hellspawn.” Zetta continued, ignoring James’ interjection and pointing at Kitsunox. James rubbed his hands over his face, annoyed already. 

You looked between the two, knowing you _probably_ shouldn’t try to help James but not being able to resist egging them on. 

“Would this have something to do with you wanting me to be your _pet_ , Zetta?” You taunted. He flushed bright red and you could tell he was glaring through his visor. “It’s alright to admit you’re jealous. Or scared. I’d be scared of Kitsunox, too.”

For as red as Zetta had gone, James was doubly so. Kitsunox was staring at him, throwing back the smirk from that morning full-force.

“If we win you have to go out to dinner with all of us.” Zetta said suddenly. You had to suppress a snort.

“NO, NO NO-” James started.

“Zetta, are you asking me to go on a date with your dad?”

“-NO NO NO NO NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT--”

“Because unless Omnicron has some secret human form I haven’t seen yet, I don’t think there’s any restaurant that’s going to seat us.”

“-ZETTA I SWEAR TO FATHER OMNICRON I’M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS-”

“OH GOD AND GRUNDA TOO, he’s WAY older than the rest of you!” You giggled at the idea.

“I’m in!”

“-MERIDA NO, NOT YOU TOO-”

“Sure, why not.”

“-NADINE. STOP ENCOURAGING HIM-”

“Yaaay, dinner with Y/N!”

“-DEENA YOU’RE NOT EVEN FIGHTING-”

“He said everyone!”

“I did say everyone.”

“-ZETTA IS AN IDIOT-”

Ellie pulled up to you after maneuvering around all the screaming Children, joining you and Omnicron in watching the chaos. “Hot take: We send them all to different restaurants at the same time, and then you and I go get shitfaced.”

“The only way this is happening is if they win, so I’m not too worried. But yeah, we should go get shitfaced. We’ve got, like, a week tops before we’re gonna have to figure out how to run everything.”

“I mean if you lose you also won’t be the Nexolord.”

“I’m GONNA be the Nexolord.”

Omnicron popped into the conversation suddenly, turning to you. “I do have a human disguise, but more importantly, what is dinner?”

You and Ellie snickered amongst yourselves for a moment. “Don’t worry, it’s just going somewhere to get food.”

“Like a hunt?”

“Mmmm… how do we explain this…?”

“Someone has already hunted the food, and then they prepare it for you and serve it so you don’t have to do any of the work.” Ellie said simply. You nodded and shrugged. 

Kitsunox and the rest of your team were getting bored. After the excitement of the past two weeks, they were all itching for another good battle. But first, you needed to wrangle in the still-screaming siblings.

“I ACCEPT THE ALTERED TERMS." You yelled, silencing everyone momentarily. "Alright, so your team is Omnicron, Grunda, Ventra, Fona, Arqua, and Luxa? We all set on that?”

“NO.” James yelled again, but everyone else was already cheering and transforming. Deena was giggling as she went over to your side, excited at the prospect of you actually losing a battle and having to go out to dinner with her entire family.

You rolled your neck, listening to the vertebrae make little pops in your ear before turning around to talk to your team.

“Alright kids. If we lose this, you all have to sit through eight dinners with various levels of flirting, and I guarantee you won’t enjoy any of them. So. Kick their asses so we don’t have to deal with that. Also because then I’ll actually be the Nexolord.”

Kitsunox put a paw on your shoulder and stared intensely into your eyes. You assumed he was conveying something along the lines of ‘I will murder literally anyone if it keeps you from flirting. Cut that shit out.’

You smiled fondly and nodded. “Alright, let’s commit animal abuse!”

Instead of turning around to face James and the rest of the Children, you walked right out the front door. When you didn’t head anyone following, you turned around and called out, “Do you guys want me to destroy the lobby? Cause I will, but it’s gonna be a bitch to restore.”

After that everyone trudged out into the afternoon snow. Sun was shining through the clouds, but it did nothing to stop the chill. You walked out onto the bridge so there would be enough room for everyone to fight.

People started screaming. Cameras started flashing. You’d forgotten about reporters.

Everything had been so hectic after your return that no one had really known what was going on, but it had been two days now and word of your return and defeat of Omnicron was common knowledge. 

You swallowed thickly, realizing you’d just revealed that everyone was, in fact, alive and well. Deena, James, Ellie, and Atlas were all gathered around you, and you all made the same hissing noise as you realized your blunder.

“They had to find out eventually.” Atlas supplied, half-hidden behind your leg.

You nodded slowly and then turned around, deciding to ignore them. “We’re gonna pretend they’re not here.”

That got immeasurably harder when the Alliance started teleporting to you, demanding answers. You ignored them as well, moving with your team away from James and creating space for the battle. Everyone who wasn’t on James’ team followed you, continuing to pelt you with questions.

Abruptly, you whipped back around. Your voice boomed over the empty space, silencing everyone else.

“Nexolord James. I am here to challenge you for the title of Nexolord. Three weeks ago I issued a challenge to you. I said I would complete my Nexopedia and battle you for the title of Nexolord in three days or less. That day, I stopped your plot to resurrect Omnicron, and three days after that I ventured into the Netherworld to retrieve his soul and end this petty war once and for all. Two days ago, after failing to contain Omnicron and being placed into my own Nightmare as punishment, I broke free and successfully completed what I had set out to do in the Netherworld. However, we never battled. It’s far past time for me to KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS!” You yelled the last part, startling some of the paparazzi behind you.

“I accept your challenge, brethren of Ulzar. You are as much a Nexolord as he, having defeated Omnicron once already.” You rolled your eyes are the obvious ploy to make you back out. You weren’t about to have two Nexolords running around, but more importantly you weren’t about to let him weasel out of getting his team stomped into the dirt. Even if they all happened to be Nexo-royalty. “I’ll give you the first turn.”

You rolled your eyes. First turn just meant he wanted to see what Nexomon you would send out first to get a type advantage going. You were saving Kitsunox for clean-up, so your only non-disadvantaged Nexomon would be Felicient. 

You nodded to her and she padded to the front, tail lashing side-to-side with excitement. You could’ve sworn Omnicron growled at her.

James nodded his head and Omnicron stepped forward. You’d have thought he would save Omnicron for Kitsunox, but he was probably trying to reserve everyone else for type advantages. You stretched one arm over your chest, trying to map out his plan just as he was trying to map out yours.

Felicient’s collar started to glow red-hot, turning any flakes that fell on her into steam immediately. 

“Felicient-”

“Father Omnicron-”

“Kick his ass.”

“Destroy them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Devastated Parum starts playing... again.*  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrkYbUq_7nc
> 
> Hey, remember how both times you fought Omnicron he wasn't at full power?  
> You spawn-killed him like Grunda the first time, plus he was missing two of his Children's powers.  
> And the second time the Alliance had weakened him to give the rest of the world more time.  
> I sure hope you know what you're doing...


	20. Back Around Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you start ticking things off your to-do list.

You realized, half a second after the battle started, that you’d never actually fought Omnicron at full power. The first time he’d been fresh out of resurrection, just like Grunda, and the second time the Alliance had weakened him to try to slow his move out of Parum and contain the damage.

It didn’t really matter, though, because he couldn’t hit Felicient for shit. She was too small and too fast. The smell of singed fur quickly filled the area, and you found yourself gaining some confidence. So long as she was too fast to hit, she would be fine. 

You were choosing to ignore that every hair on your body was standing on-end from the massive power he released with each attack.

“If she goes down, Luhava, you’re next.” You murmured. You felt his feathers press against your back just a bit more, acknowledging just what you were now up against. 

The battle was close. Way closer than you wanted. Felicient was limping by the time she managed to fell him, and it was just a lucky shot that decided that first battle. 

True to form, she was still making a show of standing proud and waiting for the next opponent. 

Omnicron collapsed on the bridge and sent most of the reporters scattering. Luxa, being the largest, was the one to pull him off the field and out of the way so the battle could continue.

“Impressive. Even at full power, you managed to defeat him.”

“We’re gonna kick your shit.” You said simply. “Send out your next sacrifice!”

“...Fona.”

He stepped forward. Felicient made a valiant attempt at hissing, but it was obvious she was in pain. Just from being  _ grazed  _ by  _ one  _ of his attacks.

“Felicient, come back. Arctivore, you’re in.”

“Oh? Giving us a freebie?” James taunted. Fona, however, looked very nervous about facing down your big puppy again. Arctivore was currently panting, tongue lolled out with a cheerful expression on its face. You’d just taken down Omnicron! This was going to be a cakewalk!

Arctivore destroyed Fona as you tended to Felicient’s wounds. She was definitely out of the battle, but you weren’t going to make her sit on the sidelines and suffer until it was over. 

Once the potions and ethers took full effect she curled up on Ellie’s lap, purring up a storm and becoming a live heated blanket. 

She was definitely too big to fit, but the pair were making it work.

Arctivore expertly finished off Fona, and with enough health to spare that you didn’t bother swapping him out.

Unfortunately, that meant Arqua managed to take him out. You didn’t even bother ordering your Nexomon out. Prismazor slowly paced out onto the field, definitely not appreciating the cold. He’d been huddled up next to Carnagrius almost the entire time, and you hoped that heat would be enough to hold him through the first bit of the battle until he could warm himself up.

Once Arctivore was patched up and the next battle was well underway, you briefly wondered whether it would be considered bad sportsmanship to taunt Arqua about her shitty volleyball again. Either you would distract her (bad) or give her a burst of rage-induced adrenaline (good?). You deliberated for a few moments, and then decided you didn’t care.

“Hey, Arqua! If you guys still manage to pull out a win, I can teach you how to actually play volleyball ON TOP of dinner!”

She paused, giving Prismazor a sneaky hit, and then absolutely clobbered him. You were both down 3 Nexomon now, and Arqua was positively  _ fuming _ . 

Kitsunox, Carnagrius, and Luhava versus Arqua, Grunda, and Luxa. And you’d never actually fought Grunda at full power either, now that you thought about it. 

You hated to do it, but…

“Kitsunox. You’re up.”

You needed to save Luhava for Grunda. Kitsunox posed a significantly harder-to-hit target than Prismazor, who was once again curled up next to Carnagrius. Even moreso, Kitsunox shared in your taste for taunting. He made an absolute mockery of Arqua’s rage, making her angrier and angrier until she was just thrashing at anything. After that, he ended it and took her out. He even ran back to give you a high-five before turning back to face the next challenger. Luxa, Grunda, and James were all talking between themselves.

“Are you boys gonna fight, or are you starting a new book club?” You taunted. They all turned around, zoning in on you. 

Wordlessly, Grunda took the field. You took a deep breath and quieted down everyone around you, wanting silence for this particular battle. You’d zoned in on Omnicron right at the start, worried for Felicient, but this was different. The air felt charged, and not just because Luxa was looming over the battlefield. Kitsunox waited for the first attack, and Grunda did the same. When it became clear he wasn’t going to make a move, Kitsunox fired off a disruption ray. It bounced off Grunda’s scales like water. You sent a glance to Luhava, who was already gearing up to step in. 

Grunda seemed to be waiting for something from Kitsunox as he threw hit after hit, trying to find any weak point in his armor. It was like watching a little orange ladybug crawl around on someone. 

You didn’t figure out what Grunda was waiting for until it was too late. Kitsunox was attempting to slide down his arm to get back on the ground. Just as he was reaching the back of Grunda’s hand, he flicked him off. Just like someone would flick off a ladybug. Kitsunox went flying into the woods. The reporters started screaming as you made a mental note of the location, waving Luhava in.

“Carnagrius, you go in after. I’m gonna go grab Kitsunox.” You held up a hand and walked off with Atlas, dodging the reporters by making a (very stupid and dangerous) jump off the edge of the bridge and onto the rim of land where the reporters were too scared to go. You shimmied along the edge until you disappeared around the corner and into the woods.

Kitsunox was picking pine needles out of his fur when you found him. From the looks of it, he’d slammed into several trees before finally falling into the snow.

“Cheap trick, but I gotta respect it.” You said, nonchalantly leaning down to start helping. Between the both of you, you cleaned him up in less than a minute. “Alright, now to face the reporters again.”

“Or I could just teleport you.”

You flinched at the sudden voice behind you. “Fuck, Hilda, don’t scare me like that!”

“Mmmmm… pass. Oh, and to answer your question, yes, we are on the good timeline. Well done!”

“I didn’t ask you that yet.”

“You don’t have to. Any new visions?”

“Not yet. Why, do you know something?”

“I have a hunch, but it’s nothing to be concerned about. It’s out of our hands for now.”

You narrowed your eyes at her, wishing she would cut the cryptic shit and tell you what was up. She just smiled and held out her arm, waiting for you, Atlas, and Kitsunox to grab on before teleporting you all back.

Luhava was in the process of dropping Grunda from the sky, so when you could see again you were greeted with the vision of Grunda’s body slamming into the bridge and shaking the ground again. You made a different mental note to get some builders out here to reinforce the bridge after the fight was over. 

Grunda didn’t get back up, and you still had Carnagrius as a backup. Admittedly, this was a lot closer than you wanted, but that only made it more exciting.

The sky turned from snowy-white clouds to dark grey and threatening. The wild turned harsh. Lightning and thunder clashed all around you. Luxa, that bastard, was smirking at you.

“Cheater!”

“Only for you, babe! I’m not passing up on a chance at dinner!” He laughed. Luhava was busy dodging lightning-bolts. You needed to think of a strategy, and quickly. With the way things were going, Carnagrius would definitely be joining the battle.

“Luhava, come back!”

Immediately he soared to your side and the safety it provided. Carnagrius ran onto the battlefield. All the snow was steaming on its coat, creating a hazy effect. You had to hope tiny cloud of steam would make Carnagrius hard enough to see that Luxa would end up missing a hit or two.

The reporters all screamed and fell back as your fire tiger started shooting columns of flame into the sky, filling the battlefield with steam despite the harsh wind. Luxa was easy enough to see, thanks to his giant shadow, but little Carnagrius was almost entirely hidden. Plumes of fire appeared seemingly at random, attacking Luxa from below at various points along his body. He returned in just as haphazard a manner, bringing the odds down to a 50-50 shot on whether he’d managed to hit Carnagrius or not. 

You and everyone else left on the field were watching the battle through the steam, the only indication of position being the bright flashes of orange and yellow light as either Nexomon attacked. Each burst of flame re-coated the area with fog.

As you watched, Luxa’s shadow suddenly lifted up until it disappeared. You’d thought you’d won for a moment, until he started zooming through the fog at insane speeds. In less than a second, he’d managed to manually move all the fog. The battlefield was clear once again, and you could see just how battered both parties were. Luxa had gotten a few lucky hits on Carnagrius, enough to drop to about half health. Luxa, however, had so many char-marks scattered along his body that he could’ve passed for medium-rare at a steakhouse. You knew, however, that he wasn’t done yet. 

Maintaining that same speed, he snatched Carnagrius right off the bridge and started soaring up high, just as Luhava had done to Grunda. 

Right at the peak, just when you thought all hope was lost and you’d have to send Luhava back out, the sky turned orange.

Then, both Carnagrius and Luxa were falling.

“Luhava, grab Luxa and try to slow him down. I’ll catch Carnagrius in its trap.” You ordered, running out into the center of the field.

“Ventra, with me!” James yelled, taking a running start before transforming in front of all the reporters and soaring up. Between the three of them, they managed to slow Luxa’s descent enough to keep him from smashing through the bridge. It was still a pretty hard impact, though, and you knew he’d probably have a bruise.

You released Carnagrius from its trap, burying your face in the soft white fur and congratulating it for that brilliant (if incredibly dangerous) play.

James detransformed and clapped a hand on your shoulder, leaning down to whisper in your ear. “Congratulations, Nexolord. You are truly the greatest tamer in the world now.”

You laughed as everyone rushed you, reporters included, shrieking for answers. 

“WHY IS OMNICRON ALIVE?!”

“DID YOU KNOW THE NEXOLORD WAS, IN FACT, A NEXOMON?”

“DID YOU KNOW THE CHAMPIONS WERE THE CHILDREN OF OMNICRON IN DISGUISE?”

Question after question was thrown at you, not that you were listening. James was still whispering in your ear about how he was going to have to kill his entire family if he won just so you didn’t have to go out to dinner with all of them. His arms were also wrapped firmly around your waist, effectively shielding you from the crowd. 

“Hey, James, Remus, you two were both Nexolords.” You whispered, still giggling. The Alliance had formed the innermost part of the crowd, but the reporters were practically jumping on their backs to get to you. “Any tips for clearing out a crowd?”

Zetta teleported at your side then, cracked visor and all. “Who needs these crusty losers?  _ I  _ know how to clear out a crowd.”

“If you transform right now and start shooting lightning I will let Kitsunox throw you off the side of the bridge.”

“You wound me! I was just gonna make a little light show…” He pouted. 

Deena had her arms crossed and was glaring at everyone. “You all sucked! Now we can’t go out to dinner! I should’ve stepped in…”

James’ arms tightened around you and you laughed again. “Y’know, on second thought, I think it’ll go much easier if I just…”

Bright flashes of light appeared all over the bridge as everyone teleported out. Several people grabbed your Nexomon to bring them with, and then you were all back inside the Tower. 

Omnicron seated himself right in front of the doors, ensuring that anyone who tried to open them would find it impossible.

“What is going on?” Remus grumbled, arms crossed.

You stared up at the ceiling, trying to keep the smirk from your face. “Right, right, I never explained my plan to you guys.”

“Was your  _ plan  _ to leave the King of Monsters alive so he could--”

“I’m gonna shut you down right there, Ivan. I  _ never  _ planned to kill Omnicron, or anyone else for that matter! If I’d have been able to stop him at the Tower without killing him, I would’ve. But I didn’t, so I made a plan in the Netherworld to trap his soul and strike a deal. Obviously, that went a little screwy, but I made it work in the end. Omnicron’s gonna be the King of Monsters, and I’m gonna be the Nexolord, and we’re gonna co-rule.”

“You’re going to WHAT?” Remus roared.

You groaned loudly, pulling yourself out of James’ arms and coming to stand in the center of the room. “I told Omnicron that either he could co-rule with me or I’d put him in a Golden Nexotrap and call it a night until he was ready to talk, which is a damn good thing, because if I’d have killed Omnicron all the Nexomon would’ve died.”

“It is true. I am their life source.” He grumbled behind you, drawing plenty of scared looks.

“Yeah, leave us alone!” Merida growled, arms crossed. All the Champions moved to stand behind you, creating a wall between the Alliance and Omnicron. Well, all of them except Deena.

She was standing awkwardly to the side, trying to figure out what to say to neutralize the situation.

You let the Alliance yell at you for several minutes, firing back with snappy answers to their ‘questions.’ Atlas and Ellie backed you up whole-heartedly, and at one point Hilda and Khan revealed that this was the only timeline available where everything ended peacefully and with you alive.

“...so you see, even if Y/N had decided to destroy Omnicron’s soul, once people realized that doing so would result in the death of all Nexomon, they would’ve stormed the Nexolord’s Tower and killed them in retaliation.” Hilda finished, that ever-present smile unwavering. 

“Hm.” You nodded, listening intently. “That would’ve been a kinda badass way to go. Burned at the stake like a witch!”

“You are a witch.”

“I just get visions, I’m nowhere near as powerful as you and Khan.” You waved her off.

“Training! Need training! Become powerful seer.” Khan demanded.

Your eyes widened slightly, excited at the prospect. “Okay, yes to that, but only  _ after  _ I’ve dealt with all my other shit.”

Hilda hummed softly and you wondered what she still wasn’t telling you.

The Alliance members were all grumbling when you heard an  _ extremely  _ loud SLAM on the front door, like someone had thrown their entire body at it.

You leaned to the side, trying to peer over Omnicron at the very top of the door. That’s when the screaming started.

“Let me IN! I know you’re keeping the Nexolord in there! I mean the ex-Nexolord! JAAAAAAMES!!!!!”

You, Kitsunox, and Atlas all burst out into screaming laughter, doubling over and clutching your stomachs.

James looked like he was going to be sick.

“Is that one of your… acquaintances?” Omnicron asked, looking at his youngest son.

The screaming continued from the other side. “I CAN HEAR YOU IN THERE! YOU CAN’T HOLD HIM HOSTAGE FOREVER Y/N!!”

You bit down on the fleshy part of your arm, trying to stifle your laughter as tears streamed down your face.

“Today continues to be a disappointment.” He muttered to himself, then sighed. “Yes, I know the girl out there. Please do not let her in.”

“I’VE COME TO RESCUE YOU JAMES!”

All of your Nexomon were in a heap in the middle of the floor, convulsing with laughter. 

“I feel so bad!” You choked out, still laughing despite your words. It  _ was  _ sad, though. She’d spent her entire life chasing James only for you to accidentally stumble into his life and completely ruin her plans.

He sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Don’t feel bad, she’s always been like this. She consistently asked me to every school event, no matter how many times I turned her down. I never went, anyway. I was busy building the lab and working on the resurrection machines.” 

Finally, you managed to stop giggling and got back up, hauling Kitsunox with you. “You knooooow, since you lost, you have some free time! You could take  _ Juliet  _ out to dinner instead of me!”

If looks could kill, James would’ve murdered you on the spot. The stony glare he gave you at the mere suggestion contrasted nicely with the smirk you now wore. 

Oh how the turntables.

“Speaking of things to do now that I kicked your ass, I need to go figure out where the hell the NexoGuard stashed my parents! Atlas, Ellie, Deena if you want, let’s bounce!” You re-trapped your team for the teleportation and told Atlas to take you all back to Parum. The NexoGuard was down there leading the rebuilding effort in your stead.

“We’ll come with you. We were all in Parum rebuilding before that news broadcast came on.” Ira gave James one last look before teleporting away. She’d probably had no idea he was another Child of Omnicron until right then and there.

“You are NOT leaving me here alone with her!” James yelled, gesturing at the door.

You shrugged. “Hey, if she gets in, you can blame your dad. I’m not in the mood to get bitched out by your little girlfriend.”

“SHE IS NOT--”

Atlas cut him off by teleporting you all away. You high-fived him before walking up to the first NexoGuard member you saw. You were about to ask him what was up when you spotted Bryce.

“Bryyyyyyyce!” You and Atlas yelled, waving. “Bryce Bryce Bryce Bryce!”

“Y/N! Atlas! Good to see you both in person again!” He grinned. You pulled each other in for a one-armed hug. “I just saw you defeat the old Nexolord!”

You nodded along with him and re-explained why Omnicron and all the Children were still alive until he was satisfied with your story.

“Alright, now that that’s out of the way, I’m actually here to ask what y’all did with my parents. They’re the scientists who made one of the resurrection machines.”

“Oh, yes, of course! We brought them into protective custody when we found out the old Nexolord was kidnapping scientists. I was… quite surprised to find out they were your parents!” Bryce chuckled, ruffling the back of his hair sheepishly. “But we released them once you defeated Omnicron! They were back in Parum when you entered the Netherworld.”

You hummed, nodding. That meant they would’ve fled with everyone else when Omnicron broke out.

“I saw them leaving with everyone else, so Father Omnicron definitely didn’t kill them.” Deena added. 

Atlas was nodding vigorously. “Affirmative! They were not inside your house when we escaped after Ziegler captured you!”

Ellie was typing something very aggressively into her phone.

“You alright, Nuts?”

“Asking my dad where everyone is…” She trailed off, continuing to type. “Oh, and trying to triangulate their cell signals.”

You nodded. “I thought that was a little aggressive for a text message.”

“Bolts. I have  _ literally  _ watched you break keys on your keyboard because you were typing so hard.” She rolled her eyes, finally stopping and waiting.

“Hey, I was ranting on the forums!” You defended yourself. You and Ellie had set up a rather prominent Nexolord-bashing forum (all anonymous, of course), of which the two of you were the most active and vocal members. You remembered the key-breaking incident. James had made a late-night call that day, and instead of sneaking out the front door you’d made a rope out of your bedsheet and jumped out the bedroom window. You’d been studying for an exam that night, and all that stress had piled up and turned into you destroying the ‘!’ key on your keyboard. That was about two years ago now.

“Yeah, okay anger management.” Ellie rolled her eyes, turning to show Atlas her phone. “They’re somewhere in Khan woods, probably that little camp before the Hidden Village.”

“Oh, where we met Deena!” You grinned, nudging her with your elbow. “You can brag to all the explorers there about how you’ve been everywhere in the world now, PLUS the Netherworld!”

You could see the stars in Deena’s eyes forming at the idea and laughed.

“Do you want the NexoGuard to go get them for you?” Bryce offered.

You thought it over for a moment. “I mean, our house is destroyed, and I doubt they wanna live in the Nexolord Tower with everyone else right now. I’d say leave them with the rest of the Parum residents until we figure out what to do. Maybe set them up in Palmaya for an extended vacation or something.” You shrugged. “Now that I know they’re alive and well I’m just gonna go deal with Glacia.”

“Who?” Bryce asked, walking with you as you all headed toward the remains of your house.

“Overseer Glacia, from the Frozen Tundra. She somehow managed to break into my Nightmare to try to break out Omnicron, so she had to have been in there long enough that I broke out Omnicron, got trapped in my Nightmare, and then she found me without realizing Omnicron was already loose.” You rambled, putting together the timeline in your head and tapping it out on your fingers. 

First, you entered the Netherworld. Glacia entered after you. You broke out the real Children and Omnicron without her noticing. Then, you got trapped in your Nightmare. Finally, Glacia got into your Nightmare from within the Netherworld and was fed the same lines you had been. Probably, anyway.

-

You all passed through the hole in the wall, picking up the fakes along the way. Even Nightmare!Ulzar joined, despite the real Ulzar being nowhere to be seen. Miriam had given you directions on how to get back into the real Netherworld and then how to locate Glacia’s Nightmare.

You sent a quick ping to the Tower to let everyone know where you were if they wanted to join. You couldn’t force Omnicron to come with because you hadn’t done that part of the wager yet, but you thought it would be absolutely hilarious to break Glacia out of her Nightmare by showing her Omnicron.

Just as you found the rift between your Nightmare and the Netherworld, a flash of light appeared. James looked around wildly before finally settling on your group.

“Howdy.” You stared at him.

He blinked a few times. “I. Uh. Juliet’s still screaming. There’s double of all of you.”

You looked at the Nightmare copies and nodded. “It would be a very shitty Nightmare without fake copies of my friends, James. Also, welcome to the Netherworld. Stay behind me, because I don’t want to deal with the Wardens trying to kidnap you. I really don’t wanna know what your Nightmare looks like.”

“I think I have a pretty good idea.” The real Deena quipped, winking at you. You rolled your eyes and made a dramatic puking sound before continuing on.

Ellie was taking pictures and recordings of anything and everything she saw, immediately sending it to the other scientists she’d worked with on the Nexocore bomb.

Zetta showed up shortly after. “You’ve really gotta cut us some slack, James. You’ve already got Juliet and Glacia, the LEAST you could do is spare us Y/N!”

James threw a glare over his shoulder, moving to wrap an arm around you. “Zetta, I will personally GIVE you Juliet and Glacia.”

“No thanks! Juliet’s insane and Glacia’s even  _ worse _ . I would MUCH rather take Y/N.” He pulled up beside you, throwing his arm over your shoulders. 

Kitsunox and Felicient managed to muscle between both of them so you were no longer caught in the middle (phew). It was cute, but you really didn’t have the time to be dealing with outwardly-jealous brothers (you’d seen the looks the other Children had been giving you, and at this point it was safe to say that all of them, minus Ulrich, had some level of a crush on you). 

The fakes stayed behind in your Nightmare, unable to leave without disappearing into nothingness. After a bit more walking, you found the entrance to Glacia’s Nightmare in the actual Chasm.

“We ready to see this?” You asked, looking behind you. The boys had been huffy and silent the entire way after Kitsunox and Felicient had bullied them away from you. 

Zetta gagged himself with his finger dramatically. “Oh, of course I’m ready to see Glacia’s fantasy world! I can’t wait to see Nightmare James!”

“What?”James turned to look at him, flushing bright red. 

You were also flushed, but half of that was from laughter. “I forgot you’ve never been here! The Nightmares are designed to be the perfect prison, so nice that people don’t ever want to leave!” Your eyes turned bloodthirsty suddenly. “And  _ that  _ means I get to beat the shit out of a fake James!”

“Woo!” Deena pumped her fist in the air. “What are we waiting for, let’s go!”

“Haaaarsh!” James whined, following everyone into the teleporter.

As you expected, you came out in a replica of the Frozen Tundra. Glacia would likely be in the Nexolord Tower.

However, if you wanted to get to the Tower, you would first have to get through the sea of grunts patrolling the entire area. 

Or just... fly over them with Luhava. 

“Follow me, we’re gonna take the long way around. Kinda.” You said, drawing your group away from the grunts and into the woods. Once you were far enough away, you relayed the plan. 

You returned all your other Nexomon to their traps so Luhava would have an easier time balancing and then directed everyone onto his back. He soared up several hundred feet, ensuring the grunts would only see the underside of his cloud and thereby wouldn’t alert the Wardens. This Nightmare had a strange temperature situation going on. You could feel the cold all around, but it wasn’t bad enough that you wanted to dress in more layers. Like walking outside in a tee during the first snow, just to feel the chill for a few minutes. 

There were significantly less grunts the closer you got to the Tower.

“Fly in around the back! Where we fought!” Zetta yelled from behind you. Luhava rounded the spires and landed on the sky bridge, leaning down so everyone could dismount.

You dropped down onto the platform and noticed it was distinctly  _ lacking  _ in ice. Thinking on it, Glacia’s whole fur-dress outfit was probably the cause for a lot of the strange weather in the Nightmare. 

“I don’t want to jinx us, but… I think I know where Glacia’s going to be.” Deena sighed, trying to keep the blush off her face.

You burst out laughing. “EEEEEW, do NOT make me think of that!”

“Think of what?!” James whined, sliding off of Luhava.

You both shut up immediately, blushes only intensifying. “Deena.”

“Yeah?”

“I keep forgetting he’s never been in a Nightmare before.”

“Yeah… Let’s traumatize him!”

“Yaaaaaay, trauma!” You put your hand out and Deena, Zetta, and Atlas joined you in cheering. 

Bryce looked like a lost puppy, but he at least caught Deena’s innuendo. “Moving on… You say Glacia is stuck in this place? What happens when we try to break her out?”

You waved off his question. “I’ve got a plan, don’t worry! I’ve been thinking about it since I decided to sit in Khan Woods for an entire day.”

“You sure you weren’t thinking about--” Zetta started.

You cut him off immediately. “Finish that sentence and I’ll let Kitsunox use you as a pinata.”

You all meandered through the halls, checking various doors and listening around corners for any sign of Glacia. 

Finally, you made it to the master bedroom. 

“Atlas, I need you to be ready to bleach my eyes.” You whispered, listening at the door. It was eerily silent, hopefully a good sign.

Atlas nodded and you all took a deep breath. James looked as confused as ever, but went along with it.

You opened the door just a crack and peeked inside.

“Outta the way!” Zetta shoved past you and into the room. “Glaciaaaaa, we’re here to ruin your James-fest~”

Thankfully, the room was empty. You slumped against the wall as the air whooshed out of your lungs, eventually turning into relieved laughter. 

“Thank Omnicron. I would’ve shorted out, and then nobody would bleach your eyes.” Atlas quipped, immediately wheeling around and heading back down the hallway. You followed him, half-leaning into the wall as you walked. Deena was cackling right along with you.

It was your laughter that eventually caught the attention of the real Glacia.

“Well well well, what do we have here?” She huffed, arms crossed. The Nightmare James was standing imposingly behind her, sneering down at everyone. 

That sneer turned to confusion as he caught sight of the real James.

You shared a look with Deena, Zetta, and Atlas before the giggles turned into all-out shrieks. Your laughter echoed down the hallway as you desperately tried to pull yourselves together.

“What is so funny?!” Glacia demanded. “And who are you?” She turned her glare to the real James, who was glaring at his Nightmare.

Luhava was just floating silently behind everyone, taking in the scene. 

Poor sky grandpa. He doesn’t get paid enough to deal with your bullshit.

You managed to choke out a few words between giggles. “Glacia… Nightmare… Fake world! ...Escape!”

You started wheezing as your lungs began to ache, which turned into coughing, which turned into your gasping for air and finally managing to calm yourself down.

This time, the Nightmare James spoke to you. “Come again, intruder?”

You stifled a snort, but couldn’t keep your eye from twitching. This was James as you’d known him for three years: cold, calculating, snarky, and really just an all-around asshole. 

You strode right up to him and jammed a finger into his chest, 3 years of barely-suppressed rage dancing behind your eyes. “Listen here, you little shit. This world is fake. You’re fake. Everyone in here? Fake. The only real person in this world is Glacia, and that’s because this whole world was designed to keep her prisoner. I don’t know what sort of role you’re playing here, but if you ‘care’ about her, you’re gonna help us break her out.”

“Hoooooot.” Zetta called out behind you, completely ruining the moment.

Both of the James were bright red, although for entirely different reasons. Before anyone could respond, though, 7 bright flashes of light appeared.

“Y/N.”

“Why have you returned?”

“You told us to take this woman prisoner, you cannot simply demand her back.”

“We’ll have to re-create her Nightmare now.”

“I really should just ban you from entering the Netherworld.”

“What do you want?”

You took your finger off Nightmare James’ chest and looked over his shoulder at the Wardens. “Hello to you, too. I’m doing fine, thanks for asking.”

“State your business.” Ziegler glared down at you.

Glacia ran into Nightmare James’ arms, but he was too busy fuming at you to bother trying to protect her.

You stretched your arms out behind your back just to waste some time and annoy the Wardens a bit more. Ziegler let out a warning growl.

“So when I said you guys could have Glacia, it was as a temporary solution. I’ve been doing some thinking about your situation, and I agree that having you all alive is preferable. However, you can’t just keep this chick here forever. Like, I hate her, and I’d love to watch her rot, but that’s not a good solution. So I have a couple questions, and depending on the answers I’ll make a proposal for you guys that doesn’t involve me beating you into a pulp and stealing Glacia back.”

Hexia hissed down at you, flexing her pincers. “I say we put you back in your Nightmare. I’m sure we can do much better this time.”

You rolled your eyes back, irritated. “Shut up. Alright, question 1: Do you need to keep your prisoners in Nightmares, or is that just for the dangerous ones to pacify them?”

“Nightmares keep prisoners subdued, but there is no rule.” Ogoon supplied. He took a cautious step forward, bending down to look you in the eye. He seemed to be catching on to your plan.

“Great, question number 2: Can you take multiple prisoners at once?”

Darine huffed as though you’d insulted her. “Easily.”

You nodded. “Great. Alright, then in that case I’d say you should all take everyone in the Netherworld prisoner and just not make any Nightmares for them. There’s more than enough people here that you should all be at full power, and you can protect them from anything that happens.”

“Are you suggesting we take all the dead humans and Nexomon prisoner?” 

Ziegler’s tone surprised you. You’d both been outright hostile this entire time, so to hear him ask something so genuinely took you aback.

You waited a moment before answering. “If that’s something you can do, then yes. Of course, if a serious threat that warranted a Nightmare showed up, you could release your group of prisoners and take over there, but it’s a stable solution for your problem. There will always be dead humans and Nexomon, so you should always have a source of prisoners. You wouldn’t have to worry about disappearing.”

“I’ll try it.” The large tree-shaped Warden stood to its full height and disappeared for a few minutes. Ziegler and the other Wardens discussed among themselves whether they thought it was a good idea or not. 

Tikala returned with something resembling a smile on its face. “The young Nexolord is insightful. The deceased spirits will be more than enough to sustain us, and I feel that we shall only become more powerful as time goes on.”

You gave a dry thumbs up, having become rather bored during the interim. “Cool. Can we have Glacia back now?”

“You won’t take her.” Nightmare James glared at everyone, pushing her behind him. 

When you turned around, Kitsunox was already staring at you with pleading eyes. “Go right ahead, I know you’ve wanted to kick his ass for a long time now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kitsunox will remember this moment for the rest of his life.


	21. Looming Threats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you face some hard truths, only to immediately forget them.
> 
> (Howdy, author here. Think of a name you've always wanted or thought sounded really cool. Remember when I said a Y2/N2 would show up back in the first couple chapters? That's a lot to type, so I'm going with MC instead, for Main Character!)

After Kitsunox finally stopped beating the Nightmare James to a pulp (which the Wardens all allowed, for  _ some  _ reason), they agreed to release Glacia and start Warding over the deceased and trapped residents of the Netherworld. Glacia, understandably shell-shocked as her memories were returned, was completely silent as you dragged her back into the realm of the living. 

When she finally did speak, she startled you. “I-it was all fake?”

“...Yeah.”

She’d been staring at James the entire time, who was using you as a shield. He’d kept you firmly tucked against his side for the walk back, shooting glares back at Kitsunox every so often. Half of you wanted to tell him that if Kitsunox truly wanted to murder him that there’d be nothing you could do to stop him.

Glacia was still quiet as you all went through the teleporter back to the Frozen Tundra. Bryce stayed behind to relay all the information he’d gathered to the NexoGuard and get a team of scientists working on exploring the Netherworld.

Deena grabbed your shoulder roughly, jerking you and James back at once. 

“Listen.”

You all froze, straining to hear whatever it was that she’d heard. Zetta was the next to realize what was going on. 

“Oh. Oh shit. They’re still  _ here _ ?!”

You pursed your lips, annoyed. “I understand that Glacia and I are the only two humans here, but would any of you mind explaining what the HELL we’re supposed to be hearing right now?”

“What?” Glacia zeroed in on you immediately. “What do you  _ mean  _ we’re the only humans?”

Your eyes slid slowly between her and James. James was listening with his siblings for whatever was going on up by the Tower, leaving you on your own to explain what was going on.

“So… you know how Zetta’s actually Luxa?”

“...”

“...Deena is Nara, and James is Metta. They’re all Children of Omnicron. You’ve been crushing on a giant bowling ball this entire time.” You rushed out, like ripping off a bandaid.

Zetta interrupted whatever Glacia had been about to say. “We either fly over or teleport. That, or I could just throw James at all of them like bait while the rest of us break for it.”

“I like the last option!” Deena clapped her hands together. “Let’s sacrifice him!”

“I’ll just teleport away.” James rolled his eyes. “Not to mention you’d have to pull me off of Y/N first, and I  _ know  _ both of you wouldn’t DARE endanger them.”

Glacia flinched, realizing he was holding you for the first time. Whatever had gone down between her and Nightmare James must’ve been pretty serious, not that you wanted to hear any of it.

She swallowed, trying to steel her nerves. “What about me? Are you all going to put me in prison?” 

“Nah, I was gonna have you train Overseers. You’re definitely the strongest, Remus aside, so I’d rather not waste your talents.” You replied.

“You?! What makes you think I’ll take orders from the likes of you? You may have defeated Omnicron, but--”

“Omnicron’s my co-ruler. How much of your memory did you lose? I know you weren’t here for the whole final-showdown bit or my battle with James to be the solo-Nexolord, but, like, you should at least remember me becoming the Nexolord after I beat Omnicron the first time.” You rambled. You were getting closer to the source now as the three siblings debated how to get around, and you could hear the clamor up by the gates. Mostly Juliet, but the reporters were definitely still there as well. 

-

“It’s kinda late, we should probably take Glacia home too…” Deena whispered to Zetta.

Both of them grinned at James, who was eavesdropping on your and Glacia’s conversation instead.

Zetta started talking over you, grabbing everyone’s attention. “You know, I think James should take Glacia home. Clearly they’ve got some stuff to talk about. Y’know. Cause of the Nightmare.”

“Deena should take her, they’re both girls.” James replied quickly.

Deena was prepared, though. “Nope! No way am I leaving Y/N with you two boys!”

“I’m gonna walk Glacia home and have Luhava fly me back. You all go ahead.” You waved over your shoulder, easily spinning out of James’ grasp to link arms with Glacia and start dragging her away.

They stared after you for a while as you put an arm carefully around Glacia’s waist, shooting one last glare over your shoulder before ignoring them entirely. 

-

“They really just-”

“I can’t believe that-”

“You. Assholes.” James hissed, whipping around on his siblings. “Can I have  _ one _ goddamn interaction with them without you all messing it up?!”

Zetta shrugged, smirking down at his little brother. “What, and let you get an even bigger lead? No way!”

“Yeah, Y/N already basically confessed that one morning! We’re all playing catch-up!” Deena backed him up. “Fenrir, Nadine, and Merida are even further behind!”

James teleported away in a rage.

-

“How are you feeling?”

Glacia turned to glare at you, only to realize you were staring straight ahead. She turned her glare down at her hands, which were starting to shake now that you two were alone. “Shitty, to be honest.”

“I thought as much. All things considered, you’re still taking it better than Juliet. She’s been at the Tower doors screaming all night.”

“Really?” She let out a small giggle. “I’m not surprised, she  _ was  _ always desperate…”

You nodded. “NexoGuard’s honor. We all took off after you just to have something to do that was away from her.”

She got quiet again until you got to her door. 

“...Be honest with me, Y/N… I mean, Nexolord.”

“Please, just Y/N. It sounds… weird.”

“Y/N. Are you and James together?”

Your cheeks turned a soft shade of pink as you looked back at the Tower. “Maybe? We’ve really only known each other for a few days. It’s too early--”

“He likes you. A lot.”

“...I know.”

“Do you like him?” Glacia held you in a piercing gaze. 

You took a deep breath and nodded. Your voice could barely be heard over the blowing snow. “...Yeah. I do.”

Glacia’s gaze dropped. “I see. Then… may the best person win.” She looked back up at you. “I’m not giving up. I  _ will  _ win him back. You might have caught his eye with that little  _ stunt  _ you pulled, but you don’t know what he’s really like. You didn’t watch him grow up.”

You blinked a few times, trying to process… whatever was going on here. 

“Uh. Glacia?”

“What?”

“You realize that up until a couple weeks ago my best friend and I were actively planning how to kill him and make it look like an accident? Like, you understand that I hated James with my whole heart and soul until my birthday?”

“What does your birthday have to do with anything?”

Your brain felt like it was turning into warm jello at this point. “I. Killed Omnicron. On. My. Birthday? I got my first Nexomon on my birthday?? And then I ran all the way over here and kicked Omnicron’s ass?”

“That was your BIRTHDAY?!” 

You stared pointedly at a single spot on the wall of her house, willing your body to not fall into the snow and just lay there until all your blood froze. “I’m gonna leave now. Goodnight, Glacia. I’m gonna hold a meeting tomorrow for all the Overseers and the Alliance to talk about my plans as Nexolord. I’d appreciate it if you showed up.”

“YOUR BIRTHDAY?! YOU SPENT YOUR BIRTHDAY DESTROYING ALL OUR PLANS?!” Glacia continued to scream at you as you released Luhava and had him fly you over the sea of reporters and back into the Tower.

Ellie and the Children were all waiting for you, but you just ignored them and went to sit at the large dining table, fingers steepled in front of you as you stared at the tablecloth.

It was white. You were reasonably confident that it had never actually been used. Glacia was going to try to steal James from you, whatever that meant. There was a loose thread in the corner seam peaking out. You needed to get a plan together for dealing with the aftermath of your chaotic ascent to power. Ellie was saying something to you.

Ellie was saying something to you.

Ellie was saying something to you.

Your eyes started to glaze over.

Ellie was saying something to you.

-

A massive dragon stood before you, eyes burning orange as blue flames engulfed its back. Your body wasn’t your own. It was… larger. More powerful. 

Furry, for some reason.

-

Your head slamming into the table broke you out of the vision and you swore, rubbing at your forehead.

“Y/N! What the hell is going on with you right now?!” Ellie demanded.

You tested your nose next, making sure it wasn’t broken before replying. “I mean, I was thinking about how Glacia just told me she’s going to ‘keep trying to make James love her back,’ but I think I just had a vision. Some big-ass dragon. I also had fur, so I might just be delirious.”

Ellie was taking notes as you talked, seemingly pulling a clipboard out of nowhere. “Is it a side-effect of being back in the Netherworld?” 

“Did you just say Glacia’s going to try to make James love her back?” Nadine chuckled, sliding smoothly into the chair next to you. The rest of the Champions were quick to follow her into the room, meaning you’d probably only been in that vision for a second or two. Luhava was staring down at you strangely, which wasn’t helping your already-very-strange mental state. 

Merida giggled, taking the next seat closest to you. “She’s gonna have a pretty rough time with that. Speaking of, are Father Omnicron and Ulrich still downstairs guarding the door?”

Fenrir nodded. He was just leaning against the doorway. “More importantly, I think our little Nexolord should be getting to bed. James and I can go deal with the reporters.”

“I’d rather not leave Y/N alone…” James crossed the room to crouch down next to you, tilting your head gently to make sure you weren’t injured. “But you should get some sleep.”

“What the hell are we, chopped liver?” Atlas complained, arms crossed. “Ellie and I can handle Y/N. You go deal with the crazy humans outside!”

You were practically carted off to bed by your friends, not that you were in any state to oppose them. Only when you were finally laying down did you realize you were in an entirely different room. Ellie was already curled up on the other side, and Atlas was quietly charging on the wall. 

“Where are we?”

“Atlas and I scouted out the Tower one night and found the spare bedrooms. This one was empty, so here we are! I figured you didn’t wanna deal with anyone else right now.” She replied, leaning up on her arms to look at you. You were laying back against the headboard, still lost in thought.

“Thanks…”

“No prob. Now turn that big beautiful brain off and go the hell to sleep. You are hereby forbidden from dissociating for another minute!”

You managed to lay down and close your eyes, eventually falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

After all, visions aren’t quite dreams, are they?

-

A child, passed out on the burning and battered hull of a gigantic flying machine. 

Light blue hair.

Goggles.

A cape.

The machine is badly burnt and rapidly descending.

It looks almost like a giant boat, but with the propellers on the sides.

-

You woke up sweating. It was still dark outside, and you couldn’t hear anyone. Luhava was the only Nexomon you’d let out after teleporting. If Kitsunox had been out, you likely would’ve just launched him off your chest (where he no doubt would’ve been sleeping, if the pattern held).

Luckily, giant sky grandpa was also still asleep. You carefully got up and wandered out into the hall, trying to figure out where Ellie had taken you.

After what felt like an hour you managed to find the kitchen. You rummaged around in the fridge and grabbed whatever looked good, planning to snack and work on your plan for taking over as Nexolord. You’d wanted to do this with Remus and the others, but considering no one would be awake for at least the next several hours, you felt like you may as well use the time.

Plus it would take your mind off...  _ whatever  _ it was that had woken you up in such a sweat. 

You let the rest of your Nexomon out of their traps, finding most of them fast asleep on the floor. Felicient was awake, though. She carefully pushed a chair right next to yours and climbed up onto it, resting her back half there while laying her front across your legs. Within minutes, she was breathing quietly on your lap. 

You wrote down ideas with one hand and absentmindedly petted the soft fur at the very top of her head with the other. 

By the time the first rays of light began to creep through the windows you’d created a fairly decent first draft of your plans to rebuild. You would need new Overseers, of course, and Parum Town desperately needed people to help the rebuilding effort. You’d decided to send all the grunts who’d been working for the Nexolord down there to assist under the actual builders. They may not be able to do the technical work, but they could at least help move materials and hold ladders steady. You’d need to find a place for all the residents to stay while their homes were being rebuilt, as well. It would’ve been easier to try to spread them out and reduce the strain on any individual place, but knowing how tight-knit your town was, they wouldn’t take that without a serious fight.

Soft footsteps down the hall pulled you out of your musings. A very old man walked into the kitchen, pausing and nodding at you.

You nodded back, taking in his appearance. It was Omnicron, undoubtedly. He wore a soft blue shirt and white slacks with a red scarf, mimicking his tail. There was also a crown of sorts resting on his head, which reminded you of the ribbons and golden collar-like thing that had been around his neck.

He wordlessly walked up next to you and looked over your shoulder, reading over your plans.

“Does it look alright? You know more about ruling than I do.” You murmured, choosing to ignore his discomfort over the topic. After all, half of your plans were centered around fixing the damage he’d caused.

He gave a low hum and nodded. “A little rough, but you have the right idea. You humans have a different way of ruling than I do, though, so my counsel may not be what you need.”

“I’ll ask Remus when he gets here. Thank you. Also, why are you up so early?” 

“I have no need for sleep. I’ve been patrolling this Tower all throughout the night.”

You nodded, returning your gaze to the piece of paper holding all your plans. “What happened after we got back?”

“My Children spent a considerable time yelling at each other about you, and then Metta and Fona went to address your little… reporters, I believe they called them. That and the screaming woman.”

“Why were they yelling about me?”

“They seemed to be arguing about their right to court you. Frankly, I find it ridiculous. You cannot hope to remain in a relationship with any of them. We are immortal. You will age and die.”

You’d been avoiding that particular train of thought, though it had been in the back of your mind the more time you spent here. “Funnily enough, I don’t think the Wardens will allow me the release of death. If I had to wager a guess, they’re afraid that I would just break out as soon as I got there. But… I think you’re right.”

He stared at you, surprised you’d ended up agreeing. You could tell he was expecting a screaming match, and had wanted to use this as proof that you wouldn’t be a capable co-ruler.

“It would be reckless to play with them like that, even for a short-term benefit.”

“I believe your… display of power has blinded my Children into believing that you are…  _ special _ . They are not thinking clearly. Especially my youngest. In time, they will come to understand that you are just another human. An impressive fighter, no doubt, but still mortal.”

You nodded, starting to tune out the conversation as you zoned back in on your plan. Just another thing you would have to manage. You’d at least hoped you could be with James for a little while before breaking things off and remaining friends...

You spent the next several hours in relative silence as Omnicron left to continue his patrol. A mixture of melancholy and foreboding was building in the pit of your stomach, and you quickly grabbed a new sheet of paper to sketch out the flying machine you’d seen in the dream. It was rough, but you could hammer out the fine details later with Ellie and figure out what it was and if it existed anywhere.

You also needed to ask around and see if anyone knew a kid that matched the description of the one you’d seen in your dream.

Add it to the list.

Kitsunox woke up first and thankfully occupied the chair on the other side of you, ensuring that none of the Children would be able to get that close. You were going to have a hard enough time talking about it without them all being right inside your personal bubble.

The broadcast, which you’d managed to figure out during your evening escapades, was sent out at 8am sharp. The Alliance all started teleporting into the massive dining hall, taking a seat at the long table while you waited for the stragglers to come in.

“Awww, Kitsunoooox, you always get to sit next to Y/N! Scoot over!” Merida complained. Kitsunox, sassy as ever, just scooted his chair closer to yours.

-

Once everyone was finally assembled you started your brief, going over your initial plan and asking for feedback. There was an air of cold, clean business about the table that you were very grateful for. 

Remus nodded as you finished up, running a hand over his beard thoughtfully. “It’s the start of a plan, for sure. Do you have new Overseers in mind yet? I’m certainly on board with working with Glacia to train them.”

You flipped through your papers again, finding the section with a list of replacement Overseer candidates. “A few, bu-”

You shrieked as a swirling pink portal opened beneath you, swallowing you and your chair in an instant. The last thing you saw was Kitsunox’s paw, reaching out for you.

You whipped around, pulling out your pocket knife as your eyes darted wildly around… wherever you were.

It was pink. Very pink. A hooded figure was leaning on air, watching your hand as you pointed the knife at them.

“Who are you, and what do you want?”

The figure stood up and lowered the hood. Green hair appeared, along with a familiar face.

“...Deena?”

“We need your help, hero.” She started. You gripped the knife a little bit tighter, confused as she carried on. “Our world is dying. We need you to save it.”

“What. The  _ hell _ . Is going on?”

“You saved your universe. Your timeline is stable. Our… the person in our universe failed. We are all facing the threat of extinction. Please, let me explain.”

Slowly, you closed the pocket knife and put it away. “...go on.”

“Our champion, the last Nexolord, killed Omnicron and destroyed his soul forever. New Nexomon, gigantic beasts called Tyrants, have appeared to try to take his place as the King of Monsters. They are all engaged in an endless war, and none of them are strong enough to win. We need someone who can stop them. We need you.”

You narrowed your eyes at her, looking around to reassure yourself that you were well and truly alone. “You realize I would be a lot more useful with my team, right?”

“No!” You flinched at the anger in her voice. “No. If you just subdue all the Tyrants more will appear to take their place. We need a new King.”

“...That’s great and all, but I’m a human.”

“I know. I… I have a plan.”

“You’re really just dragging this out, aren’t you?” You sighed, crossing your arms.

“I’m nervous, alright! I’ve never done this before!” She glared at you, then softened. “I’m sorry, I’m just… I’ve been dealing with the aftermath of Father Omnicron’s death for 1000 years. I’m… a little stressed.”

“Wait, 1000 years?”

“Yes. Tyrants have been tearing apart the world for several hundred years now. It was fine for a little while, when I was still at my full power, but… I’m too old, now. I’ve used all my power trying to keep the peace as long as possible. This is where you come in! I want to, uhm… create a new Ruler of Monsters!”

“Still not explaining what that has to do with me.”

She flushed, looking away from you. “This is gonna sound dumb, alright, but just hear me out! I… I can rebirth you. As a Nexomon. And I would give you the ability to master all the elements, just like Father Omnicron could. I would lie to my family and tell them that you’re my child, and that they should teach you how to use your powers when you find them. Once you became strong enough, you would be able to transform into your Nexomon form and become the Ruler, squashing the war between Tyrants and saving our universe from destruction!”

You stared at her, biting your lip to keep yourself from outright telling her that this plan was insane.

“What would happen after?”

“After what?”

“After I… become the Ruler of Monsters, or whatever. I can’t just leave my universe behind forever.”

“You would be strong enough to open a portal like I did. I mean, you would need to stop any new Tyrants that showed up, and keep the old ones from fighting during your absence, but…”

Something felt off about this Deena, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. You assumed it was because of the marked change in personality from the sweet, bubbly Deena you’d come to know, but it was still wriggling around in the back of your mind. 

“I… tentatively accept. Can you go over your plan one more time?” You wanted to see if her story changed at all, just to make sure this was genuine. Far be it from you to reject a cry for help and an offer of adventure, but you wanted to be sure this wasn’t going to turn into another Nightmare scenario.

This new Deena ran through the plan one more time, exactly the same as she’d explained it the first time.

“So you turn me into a Nexomon, I find all your family, and they teach me how to use my new powers?”

“Yes.”

“And then I train myself up to the point where I can sustain my transformation, put down all the other Tyrants, and then I can go home again?”

“Yes…” She drawled out the ‘s,’ making you feel that trickle of trepidation again.

However, there wasn’t really much you could do about it. You were very obviously trapped in here, and there was no guarantee she would just let you go if you rejected the offer. And it sounded kinda cool to get to be a Nexomon.

...not to mention you’d be able to rub it in Omnicron’s face when you got back, since this Deena would be effectively making you immortal as the new Ruler of Monsters. 

You rubbed your thumb over the pocket knife one last time and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go hunt some Tyrants.”

“Perfect!” The abrupt personality change made you look up. If anyone had asked, you would’ve told them it was the biggest mistake you’d ever made.

You felt your mind slipping as you met Deena’s eyes, body warping into something unrecognizable.

-

Tiny hands reached up, grasping at a woman with green hair.

“...Thank you, MC. Your sacrifice will save us all.”

Deena, fourth daughter of Omnicron, stepped out of a portal with a tiny baby squirming in her arms.

A tiny baby with no memories, no thoughts of who they had been mere moments ago. A tiny baby who would spend years growing up in a war-torn world, making new friends and new enemies, and never wondering at that strange little voice in the back of their head that made them feel as though something was very, very wrong.

“Ulrich.”

“Deena! What is that thing?!” An old man exclaimed. “Why do you have a--” He paused, glancing at the baby once more. “Oh, Deena. No. You didn’t.”

“They have Father Omnicron’s true blood. They are the heir we need to put an end to this wretched war!”

“What do you want me to do with it?!”

Deena rubbed a thumb over the child’s face. They cooed and grasped at her finger, and she felt sick to her stomach. She had to do it. They were out of options. She knew the hero never would’ve agreed if she’d told them the full extent of her plan.

“Raise them with the other humans at the Orphanage. I want them to grow up loving humans AND Nexomon. I won’t allow them to become like Father Omnicron, or the cycle will never stop.”

-

The hall was deathly silent for a moment. Deena stood up, numbly walking to where your papers had scattered on the floor.

“Did… did one of you teleport them away?”

More silence.

“Did you see anything, Kitsunox?”

Hilda slammed her hands on the table, eyes wide. “No. No no no, that wasn’t what it was supposed to mean.” 

She got up and started pacing furiously around the room, eyes darting everywhere but seeing nothing. “Y/N wasn’t supposed to disappear, this isn’t right, the vision!”

“What vision?” Deena asked, catching Hilda by the shoulder. She slapped blindly at Deena’s hand, continuing to circle the room like a caged Carnagrius.

Kitsunox was kneeling on the ground, staring at the space where you’d just been. You’d screamed.

Khan stood up, blocking Hilda’s path. She started bouncing her leg in place, breathing heavily as she tried to find you.

“Khan, I can’t, I can’t sense them anywhere, they’re gone! Gone-gone!”

“Hilda. Explain vision.” He said gently, placing both hands on her shoulders to ground her.

“I-I saw a child, a child with light blue hair, someone to rival Omnicron, I thought it was going to be theirs! But they’re gone, and without them--”

“Hilda. Calm. Must start searching.” Khan gazed into her eyes. Everyone else was deathly silent, watching the interaction.

“Y/N is… gone?” Atlas asked, holding himself up against the table so he could see everything.

“Kitsunox and Felicient say it was a portal. Someone must’ve opened it.” Deena murmured, shuffling your papers. “We just need to find out who... They were likely kidnapped. I’m sure they can handle themself in the meantime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to your new family, baby MC. I hope you made the right choice.


	22. Young Ruler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you embark on a new journey.
> 
> (Happy 100k words!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You never even got to say goodbye...

You dropped down from the top bunk silently, sliding out of the room in the early morning light. The Nexomon had all been unusually loud for the last few days. Well, they’d been loud ever since you’d developed the ability to talk to them, but this was just obscene. 

You walked out the front door and sat down on the step, closing your eyes and listening as they chattered. They were all talking about Solus, that bedtime story about a good Tyrant who would finally end the war and become the new Ruler of Nexomon. The mentor, who ran the Orphanage, had told you it many, many times. It was one of your earliest memories.

You would’ve yelled at them to be quiet, if you’d have been able to speak. Instead, you just went back to your room and curled up under the covers again. 

A dream, the same one you’d had for years now. A giant dragon, covered in blue flames. This time, there were people in front of it. 

“I-I can’t believe it!” That was Edward, one of the Guild Tamers. “How did it come to this? Why is this happening?!”

Amelie, the Guild Master, was there too. “MC, that brat betrayed us all! Everything we’ve built, everything we’ve been fighting for!”

“Such raw power!” A man in a cape and mask yelled out next. “Such absolute wickedness! The end of days is upon us!”

“A-Amelie, we must retreat now! It’s not worth it!” Edward called out. The creature loosed a scream that shook the rock they were all standing on, casting fire and lightning all over the scene. 

“Shut it, Edward!” She shrieked. “Listen to me, and listen well! If we are to save our planet, MC must be annihilated! Stand with me, tall and proud, against the face of evil!” she turned, staring at the monster. “Our people will rise as MC falls!”

As the dream faded away, you heard the last echoes of her voice. 

“I’ll never forgive you, MC… you’ve doomed us all, accursed brat!”

For some reason, there was still yelling happening as you woke up again.

“-knew it! What are you doing here, MC?!” 

Ah, Nora. That explained it.

“Today’s the big day!” She glared down at you. “You DO know what day it is, right?!”

You ignored her, slipping off the side of the bed to reveal that you were already dressed. You grabbed your satchel off the ground and brushed past her, taking a quick stop in the store room to fill up. Nora was tapping her foot impatiently by the door when you finished.

Amelie, the Guild Master, was standing in front of Ross and Coco.

“Only two this year?”

The mentor shook his head. “No, there should be two more. I sent Nora to go get MC.”

“Why are we waiting for MC?! We’re wasting time!” Ross grumbled. “Shouldn’t have even sent Nora back in the first place…”

You lightly swatted him in the back of the head as you strolled up with Nora, dipping your head in greeting to the mentor and Amelie. 

You’d never been able to get the mentor’s real name, which was strange given that you’d lived in his Orphanage for your entire life.

“Wonderful, MC graces us with their presence.” The mentor looked down at you. 

Amelie clapped her hands together. “Excellent! Greetings, children. I am Amelie, a representative of the Guild.”

“We know who you are, Guild Master.” Coco deadpanned. 

She shot him a glare. “I have to do the bit, alright? As you know, every year we select a group of tamers to join our ranks. This is the turning point of your lives, and I am here to ensure your success.”

“Don’t we need our own Nexomon to register?” Nora asked, flipping through her notebook. She’d spent all of last night studying, for some reason. You really didn’t see what her deal was. Hell, the only reason you were even agreeing to become a tamer was so you could finally get out of the Orphanage! That, and take care of the other kids still inside. You’d become a de-facto caregiver as one of the eldest, and to be perfectly honest, you were a bit nervous about leaving all the kids behind. Hopefully they’d be fine for a little while before you could come back with your first paycheck. 

Amelie cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder, regaining your attention. “The northern woods will be the perfect place to get your first Nexomon. Here are your traps,” She distributed 5 traps to each of you, “and I will come collect you at midnight. Good luck!”

She looked a bit too cheery for sending a bunch of unarmed kids into the woods to find a Nexomon weak enough that it wouldn’t rip your arms off. Coco shared your sentiment.

“You’re sending a bunch of kids into the woods until midnight?”

“Fret not, nothing can happen in these ancient woods.” Amelie gave a sugary-sweet that obviously meant she was annoyed by his question.

You and Coco shared a look, actively trying to keep from rolling your eyes. 

“FOR ULZAR’S SAKE YOU’LL BE FINE, JUST GET GOING!” She yelled, waving the four of you into the woods. Once you were past her you allowed yourself that eye-roll.

In stark contrast to this morning, all the Nexomon in the woods had gone eerily silent.

Ross stopped your group in the center of the woods where the path split in three. “Alright, here’s the plan! Unlike normal people, Coco can track any Nexomon we want with his sense of smell--”

“Normal people?” He interrupted, glaring.

Nora sighed and turned around. “This is a waste of time. I’m going this way… Good luck.”

“Fine! Leave then!” Ross yelled after her. You knew he was a hothead, but this was just ridiculous. “I’m going this way. Don’t follow me!”

_ Dumbass, how’s Coco supposed to sniff out Nexomon for you if he can’t follow you? _

You rolled your eyes and looked down at Coco, who was shaking his head. 

“Whatever. At least we’ve got plenty of time. Wanna go up here with me, MC?” He asked, pointing over his shoulder at the last path.

Just as you were about to nod, the world went blue. Everything froze around you and a hooded woman came running from further up the path you and Coco wanted to take. She looked like the other Guild Master, Deena.

As she came closer, you realized you were right. She skidded to a stop once she met your eyes. 

“Impossible! MC, what are you doing here?! Nevermind, you need to hear me out. Something dangerous is headed this way! You need to get to the statue in the north, there’s a cave underneath it where you can hide!”

_ How the hell does this chick know my name?! WHY does she know my name??? _

**Danger.**

“Hurry, my time-- OUR time is running ou--!”

The world turned normal as time re-started. Without waiting for Coco to respond, you picked him up and started sprinting for the statue. You remembered seeing it before, late at night when you snuck out to listen to the Nexomon.

“Hey, put me down!” He yelled. You both skidded to a stop as a giant light appeared in the sky. You were standing right in front of the statue, but the Guild Master hadn’t told you how you were supposed to move it to get in. “What is that?! It’s huge! Ooh, MC, I bet it’s a shooting star! We should make a wish! I… I think I’m gonna wish for an adventure!”

_ I wish for the other kids to be alright while I’m gone… Wait, is that getting closer? _

You dove behind the statue as the ‘shooting star’ crashed down right in front of you. It was a dragon, one of the Great Dragons that Renegade Lydia used for hunting Tyrants. Deena was probably warning you about the Tyrant, now that you thought about it.

You carefully set down Coco, peering over the base of the statue at the beast. 

You met its eyes.

Time stopped again, coating the area in blue. 

“You’re too late! I told you to hurry!” Deena scolded. “A dragon, here of all places…” She glared at the Nexomon, then gave a deep sigh. “May as well learn to fight now. Help’s on the way anyways, so you’ll be fine. Come here.”

You walked up to her as she pulled out a container from behind her back. 

“You just need to hold out until help arrives. Take one of these. It will be your lifelong companion, so choose wisely.”

You knit your brows, confused as you looked over the Nexomon inside the traps. 

_ Can’t YOU just fight this thing?! You’re the Guild Tamer, not me! _

Even so, you settled on the Dinja. Far be it from you to turn down a free Nexomon, especially one that got as powerful as Namansi. 

“Alright, now listen carefully.” She put the rest of the Nexomon away. “When this is over, no one can know about me. Understand, MC?”

You nodded. 

She returned your nod and smiled. “Good. I believe in you!”

_ That’s a very stupid idea. I’ve never used a Nexomon before in my life. _

**Yes I have.**

_ No, I’m sure I haven’t. _

**Forget.**

You blinked, and the world was back to normal. The dragon was standing before you, massive and hulking and oh-so-very-dangerous. You needed to hold it off at least long enough for the kids in the Orphanage to get somewhere safe. 

“MC! What are you doing?! How did you even get over there???” Coco yelled from behind the statue. “Get away!”

The dragon roared at you as you sent out the little Dinja.

_ Sorry little buddy, but I don’t think either of us is making it out of this one.  _

Naturally, the giant dragon took out the Dinja in one hit and sent both of you sprawling backwards into the dirt. 

“I told you to back off! We can’t take a dragon! Where did you even get that Nexomon in the first place?!” Coco cried.

You pushed yourself up off the ground, returning the Dinja to its Nexotrap before squaring up to the dragon again. Your arm was scraped and bleeding.

Before you could charge, the statue vanished into thin air. 

“Hurry, inside!” Coco grabbed your arm and hauled you into the hole, missing the ladder in favor of not getting ripped in half by the dragon’s massive claws. 

The dragon’s roar shook the air and dirt rained down from the ceiling. You shoved Coco and your Nexotrap away from the opening before diving deeper into the cave yourself. You could see the dragon’s massive eye staring down at you from the entrance.

“Come on, let’s get away from the hole!”

You followed Coco deeper into the cave, finding stashes of gold and other supplies.

**Not alone.**

You whipped your head up, looking wildly around the cave. 

“What, do you hear something?” Coco asked, crawling on top of a box of supplies and looking around. 

You put a finger to your lips and slipped around the wall, straining to hear. Coco followed, brandishing your Nexotrap as though the Dinja inside wasn’t currently passed out.

It was just a spirit, standing before what looked like a gravestone. Still, spirits could challenge people to Nexomon battles, so it wasn’t like you were in the clear. 

As if sensing you, the spirit turned around. It was a person with blue hair and a large scar on their face.

**Failure.**

_ Don’t be rude! _

The person appraised you and Coco for a moment. “Nice to meet you, children. I am… well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

**Nexolord. Failure.**

_ What the hell is a Nexolord? _

“Y-you’re a ghost! This is a tomb!” Coco stuttered, backing away.

The person chuckled. “Relax, I saved you from that dragon up there didn’t I?”

“You waited until the last moment!”

“...Meh. It’s gone now, anyway, so you two can head back up.”

You looked to Coco, who was busy staring around the cave in wonder. “What is this place anyway?”

“Well, you were right about it being my tomb. It’s my final resting place. I was a tamer once, just like you kids.”

“Were you strong?!”

“Heh… not too shabby, I suppose.”

**Nexolord. Strongest.**

Coco grabbed your arm, pulling you down so you were face-to-face. “Hear that, MC? They were a real tamer! I bet they could teach us a thing or two!!”

You looked over at the tamer. The… Nexolord, if the small flashes of memory were anything to go by. They were unusually frequent today.

The Nexolord was staring at the two of you with an expression of mild concern. “You know that’s not a normal reaction to seeing a dead person, right? Like, I know you’ve all got the Phantom Citadel, but it’s still weird. I  _ guess  _ I can teach you how to catch Nexomon, at the very least. There’s a spot back here.”

“What’s the Phantom Citadel? We have the Immortal Citadel to the south, is that what you’re thinking of?” Coco asked, following the person into the back of the cave.

You hung behind. Something was pulling you towards the headstone, and you noticed there was a picture attached. The instant your eyes focused in on it you were hit with a wave of nausea. 

Names and faces flashed through your mind, disappearing as soon as they came and leaving you with this incredible feeling of… loss.

You staggered away from the photo, running to catch up to Coco. Something was wrong here. Very wrong.

_ Who were those people? Why did I recognize them? _

If Coco noticed anything wrong with you, he didn’t mention it. 

“So… you kids may not know this, but you live in perilous times.” The Nexolord started. “You world is a horrible, disgusting, burning, depressing, broken--”

“We know.” Coco deadpanned. 

“But! If you know where to look, you can always find a Nexomon!” They grinned. 

You, Coco, and the Nexolord all looked ahead at the patch of grass. How it was growing in this cave was a complete mystery, but you were thankful for it.

“Uh… small problem.” Coco said, holding up your Nexotrap. “We can’t exactly weaken the Nexomon. MC’s Dinja got… uh… slapped by that dragon.”

The Nexolord gently took the trap, summoning a full revive out of thin air. “I can handle that.”

They healed your Nexomon, handed it back, and waved you forward into the grass. 

Much to your…  _ dis _ pleasure, the Nexomon you encountered was a Skunqute. Oh well. Have to start somewhere. 

“Alright, now just weaken it. I’ve got some spare traps somewhere around here.” They patted their pockets before producing a few Nexotraps.

Your Dinja was still a bit dazed from the fight with the dragon, so this Skunqute was a welcome change of pace (and a welcome distraction from the photo).

You captured it easily and added it to your party.

**Wrong.**

You shook the bad feeling away, turning to look to the Nexolord again.

“Not bad. There’s plenty more I’d like to teach you, but I’m sure your friends will be looking for you by now. We’ll meet again, I’m sure. Just… be careful. This world isn’t as gentle as it used to be.”

The ghost walked you out, giving a parting gift of some food to make taming other Nexomon easier. You nodded your thanks to them and ascended the ladder with Coco. Amelie was waiting outside.

“MC! Coco! There you are! A dragon just attacked the area, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Coco tossed a glare at her. “Oh, look, it’s Miss ‘Nothing Can Happen In These Ancient Woods.’ We were saved by a creepy ghost, by the way.”

Amelie looked sufficiently confused. “A ghost? Like, one from the Immortal Citadel?”

“No, like an actual ghost. Kinda looked like the statue that was here.” Coco pointed at the hole the statue had been standing over.

“...You must be seeing things.” She shook her head. “Please, just follow me back to the Orphanage. There’s no telling what’s going to happen next here.”

You were stopped on the walk back by a traveling miner, who traded you his spare pickaxe for some supplies and a small chunk of cash. You knew shards were valuable, so it was worth the investment. If being a tamer didn’t work out, you could always mine. It would be… considerably more difficult, but it meant the kids at the Orphanage wouldn’t go hungry.

Finally, Amelie led you upstairs where Ross and Nora were waiting with the mentor.

He started yelling as soon as you walked in. “A dragon?? Here?! Amelie, what is the meaning of all this?”

“Yeah, isn’t the guild supposed to keep track of all the dragons?” Nora added, flipping through her notes. 

_ If there’s a dragon here, there has to be a Tyrant nearby. But why would it challenge me and Coco? _

Ross was, by far, the angriest about the whole ordeal. Despite not being involved at all…

“Quit slacking off! I could’ve been eaten!”

“And wouldn’t that have been tragic…” Coco rolled his eyes and you had to stifle a laugh.

Amelie shook her head. “Dragons don’t attack humans. That means the only explanation is--”

“A tyrant has to be nearby.” You flinched as Deena walked in, cloak swishing around her feet. “Is everyone alright?”

_ You already know the answer to that! _

**Danger.**

“Yes, yes, everyone’s fine. You’re late, Deena.” Amelie replied. 

Deena sighed and crossed her arms. “Dragons are programmed to hunt tyrants. That’s just how they work. So, one must be nearby.” She looked around at the dingy interior, noting the cracked floorboards and various stains from years and years of use. “This Orphanage is no longer safe.”

“The nerve! How can a tyrant hide in a place like this?!” Amelie growled. “We’re leaving! I’ll escort the kids to the city.”

Amelie was famous among the Guild for her singular hatred of tyrants. She led hunts with a fervor unmatched by anyone else.

“And I’ll track the tyrant myself. It can’t have gone too far.” Deena replied easily, walking out. You noticed your heart started to slow as soon as she was gone. What was it about her that freaked you out so much? Probably that she was an incredibly powerful tamer, but still…

You swallowed hard and looked back to Amelie, who had started speaking again.

“That was Deena, one of the highest-ranking tamers at our disposal. If you work hard enough, you may become a grandmaster as well. You’re all probably very confused, but our top priority right now is to get you to the safety of the city and--”

“Finally!” Ross interrupted. In an attempt to shut him up, you kicked him in the foot. He ignored you and kept talking. Of course. “I gotta pack all my stuff for the big city!”

_ What stuff? You wear the same thing every day and I don’t think I’ve EVER seen you brush your teeth… _

Part of why you’d packed the night before was in case you realized you forgot anything. Luckily, nothing was coming to mind.

“Wait for me!” To your surprise, Nora ran after him. 

_ Guess she didn’t have much time to pack between all the studying. Meh, her loss. _

Amelie sighed and turned to you and Coco. “Please, make haste. I’ll be outside.”

“The day has finally come, I suppose…” The mentor started, drawing your attention back to him as Amelie headed out. “You’re going off to become a real tamer and protect this dying world of ours. Make no mistake, children, things may become a tad… uncomfortable. You know we live in dark times.”

“Yeah, what’s up with the tyrants and dragons? Why were we attacked?” Coco asked.

The mentor shook his head. “Don’t worry about that right now. Just focus on getting to the safety You nodded, holding out a hand for Coco to take. You and Coco were the closest out of everyone in the Orphanage, thanks to your… uniqueness. With you being mute and Coco being… a cat… the other children hadn’t exactly been friendly towards you growing up. It was better now that you were older and all your tormentors had left, but the bond between you two was unbreakable. That, and the younger children thought you two were the coolest for the very same things that had gotten you bullied by the older kids.

You were the best listener in the house, of course, and Coco was known for having the best hugs to comfort the criers. 

You took one last lap, collecting excited and tearful goodbyes from the children and making absolutely,  _ positively  _ sure you hadn’t left anything behind. 

Cracking the front door open, you were greeted with… Ross.

“ROSS! Come back here, you little--!” Amelie shouted. Ross was high-tailing it away from the group, to no one’s surprise. 

“I’ll be fine! I know how to reach the city!”

“That’s not the point!” She growled. “There’s a tyrant nearby!”

“I don’t even know what that is!”

You pinched the bridge of your nose, trying to keep calm enough to not go chasing after him. Coco squeezed your hand and shook his head. “It’s not worth it. Let the tyrants eat him.”

Ross, apparently, hadn’t seen you come out the front door, because the next words out of his mouth were, “I’m not afraid of that stuff anyway! I’m not like MC!”

“Darn it, come back here!” Amelie and Nora took off after him before you could charge.

_Lucky bastard. I would’ve sicced_ **K--u-** _on him in an instant._

_ Wait… what? _

You glanced down at Coco, who just shrugged. “I mean we could chase them to the city, oooor… we could go exploring!”

It couldn’t hurt, and it would give me a headstart on actually training my Nexomon… Yeah! While they’re all stuck in the city doing paperwork, we’ll be getting buff!

You nodded and spun the trap around on your finger. Huh. You’d never been able to do  _ that  _ before…

“Woah, cool! You gotta teach me how to do that! Oh, and I gotta go catch a Nexomon!” Coco clapped his paws together excitedly as you stopped by a merchant who was sitting outside the Orphanage.

You blew your entire budget on Nexotraps. Ross had confided in you once that he wanted to own every Nexomon in the world and have a complete Nexopedia. You and Coco agreed that same night that you two would  _ actually  _ fill out the Nexopedia, just to spite him. 

“Okay! Let’s do this.” 

You and Coco spent the next several hours wandering all over, bouncing from the woods outside the Orphanage, Palmaya, the Outlands, and anywhere else you could get to.

The entire time, you’d been getting tiny little flashes of visions attached to specific Nexomon you encountered.

Trying to make a team that went against those visions made you feel… nauseous? Uncomfortable? Whatever it was, it was an unpleasant sensation.

Your team now consisted of your starter, who had evolved into a Dichala now, and three Nexomon you’d picked up in Palmaya. A little Lume, a Siki, and a Bira. The last two spots, no matter what else you encountered, remained unfilled. Nothing fit the bill.

Coco was rocking a Masquiti for his lead Nexomon, which creeped you out to no end. He thought it was  _ hilarious  _ that he was a cat using a cat Nexomon, though.

The rest of his team consisted of a Gekoko, Rapi, Snush, Zumble, and Taipluff. 

“I still don’t see why you keep putting stuff back in the box. You should have a full team!” He complained, lobbing another Nexotrap at a particularly annoying Monkapow.

You shrugged. The only other Nexomon you’d seen that didn’t give you immediate waves of nausea upon thinking of it being on your team was a Foxdra. You’d been looking for one for a while now, and you and Coco had decided that once you found it you would leave for the city. No doubt Amelie was wondering where you were, not that it mattered too much right now. You weren’t near the Orphanage, so you weren’t near the Tyrant. 

It was weird that you hadn’t seen or heard anything about it since then, though…

After a little more hunting you managed to find a Foxdra, trapping it quickly and adding it to your team.

“Finally! Alright, let’s get going.” Coco took the lead on the way back while you checked out your new Foxdra, leaving it out to walk next to you. You hadn’t really let any of them out for anything other than battling until now.

_ Why have you caught me, young ruler? _

You froze. Coco was still ahead of you, so he didn’t notice. Your eyes slid down to the Foxdra, who was staring expectantly.

_ How are you talking to me? _

_ The same way I would talk to anyone else. You are unsure about my place on your team. _

_ It’s… it’s not my choice! I get all nauseous if I pick the wrong Nexomon… _

_ And what is a ‘wrong’ Nexomon to you? _

_ I don’t really know… I keep getting these… visions, I guess? They show up whenever I see a specific Nexomon. Like Lume, I saw a giant white and orange tiger Nexomon! _

_ And what did you see when you caught me? _

_ I… I think it was a fox, but I couldn’t tell for sure. It was too quick. _

You startled forward, realizing Coco was getting pretty far ahead. You were nearly to the city now.

_ Can other Nexomon talk? I mean, talk to me. I know you can all talk, I’ve been listening for-- _

_ Yes. We can all speak to you, just as you are speaking to me now. You’ve simply never tried before. _

_ Hey! I can’t talk to other humans, I figured it was universal! _

“Uh, MC? You alright back there?” Coco asked, having turned around to see you gesturing wildly to your Foxdra. “We’re… uh… at the city.”

You sighed and nodded. Parum City--

**Town.**

Parum CITY loomed tall and impressive before you, surrounded by massive walls known for being impregnable to tyrant attacks.

Unfortunately, Amelie also loomed before you. And she was PISSED.

“THERE you two are! Where have you been?!” She yelled. You glanced down at the Foxdra, then back to her, then pulled out your Nexopad to show her your progress at filling out your own Nexopedia.

She seemed a bit taken aback by your progress and relented. “I-I see. Well, your friends have already gone ahead and gotten their Bronze Badges. They’re on their first Guild mission already. Please, follow me so I can get you two caught up. I have a client for you, as well.”

There is a great danger here, young ruler.

_ My name is MC, you don’t have to call me ‘young ruler’ or whatever. _

_...You are in danger here… M-C.  _ Foxdra sounded out your name.

“Please, return your Nexomon MC. The citizens here are… a little intimidated by non-pet Nexomon.” Amelie groaned, clearly annoyed with the people here. 

_ Heh. City-slickers. Sorry Foxdra, back in you go! _

_ Farewell, young ruler… MC. _

As you walked, Amelie gave a little speech. “Welcome to Parum, the ultimate bastion of the human domain! Amid the chaos, violence, and decay that spreads throughout the world, Parum stands tall and proud, against all odds. Once you two  _ finally  _ become guild members, all your effort and skills will be directed towards preserving this peace. Take a good look around. This is what you’ll be fighting for from now on.”

_ I mean, no, absolutely not, I’m only doing this to help the Orphanage, but go off guild master. _

“That’s a Healing Center.” She continued, “Tamers like you can use them for free to heal up your Nexomon. There is also a storage center, which I see you two have already been using. Liberally.”

_ She’s really trying to tell us what a Healing Center is like we haven’t already gotten the base forms of almost half the known Nexomon in the Nexopedia. Pray tell, Amelie, do you think we’ve just managed to NOT GET HIT THE ENTIRE TIME?! _

“And over there is the general store,”

_ FOR FUCK’S SAKE-- _

“You can purchase various goods and items to aid you on your quests. As you rank up, you’ll be able to purchase more goods for better prices. As is, stock and price change anyway, so keep an eye out.”

_ I get that you have to give us this spiel but if you don’t shut up I’m going to take all five of my shitty little baby Nexomon and attack you. _

“And over here is the airship hangar. Tamers usually use it to get to the Drake Isles, the alleged birthplace of the dragons. I recommend you use it, once you have the appropriate badge of course. It’s quite the view.”

_ Oh. Well, joke’s on me. Dumbass. _

Coco yanked on your sleeve. Once you were looking at him, he jerked his head towards the hangar. You narrowed your eyes conspiratorially and nodded. 

_ Appropriate rank my ass, we’re gonna catch us some lesser dragons! _

At the very least, though, you’d have to go with Amelie and get your bronze badge. 

“I would also recommend visiting the citizens. Most of them are sympathetic to guild members and will have special jobs for you. But, more pertinent, the research district is in the west. Our researchers have been working tirelessly to unlock the secrets of Nexomon so that we may live to fight another day. I think you’ll be especially interested in their cores. Now, let’s get going. It’s already 9…” Amelie grumbled, leading you and Coco to the north where the guild’s headquarters resided. It was a massive building with a ridiculous amount of stairs leading up to it.

_ My legs hurt… _

_ I haven’t been this sore since my  _ **\--** _ birthday  _

_ Wait, that’s not right, I’m 15. What the hell? _

Amelie held the door open for you and Coco. The Guild was already in full swing, teeming with other tamers taking jobs and checking their ranks.

“Admin!”

Immediately, the other tamers got out of the way. Amelie led you to the front desk where a woman with pink hair was staring disinterestedly at her clipboard.

“Yes, Amelie? What is it this time?”

“The other two new recruits I told you about. Please, take care of them for me. I’ll be getting their first mission in order.” Amelie replied before moving through the crowd and through a door you could barely make out over everyone else’s heads. 

The woman, who was apparently named  _ Admin  _ of all things, nodded without lifting her gaze from her clipboard. “Welcome to the Guild. I am the regional administrator. Anyone with a Nexomon companion is entitled to be a bronze tamer, Amelie is gone, blah blah blah, here’s your badges.” Her eyes darted to the door Amelie walked through, a small smirk appearing on her face. “Alright, here’s the deal. You’re small fry, so no one here’s gonna take you seriously. Keep your head down, do your work, and train your asses off, and maybe, MAYBE you can rank up. Just don’t make problems, and we won’t have a problem!” She gave a downright  _ terrifying  _ cheery smile as she handed over the badges. “Now that that’s settled, please go find Amelie for your first mission. Get out of my lobby, and good luck!”

You stared down at Coco for what felt like a full minute before shuffling through the crowd and to the door you’d seen Amelie walk through.

“That was… interesting.” Coco muttered. You shrugged.

You were greeted by a blonde miner girl with pigtails inside the room. “Who are these losers?”

_ You are so lucky I can’t find  _ **-i--no-** _. _

_ Seriously, what the hell am I talking about? _

“These two are the tamers who will be taking on your mission. MC, Coco, meet Videlle.” Amelie gestured to the girl you were openly trading glares with.

“They look like they got their badges 5 minutes ago!”

“Actually, it was closer to 2.” Coco deadpanned. You had to pull some serious strings to keep yourself from snickering in front of Amelie.

“The entire lake froze over!! It’s infested with hostile Nexomon! Don’t give me some random tamers you just hired!” She complained. 

Amelie, to your surprise, actually rolled her eyes. “This is a menial task. You need to trust MC and Coco.”

“Fine! But don’t say I didn’t warn you when me and your rookie tamers get stuck under the ice!” She growled, storming out of the room.

You and Coco just stared. “I guess we… follow them?”

“Yes, please. Good luck, children. Make your mentor proud, or whatever.” Amelie waved you out, and it may have just been a trick of the light, but you could’ve sworn you saw a flask glinting out of her back pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what everyone back home is up to...  
> 15 years...


	23. Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the author finds enough time to update ;p
> 
> In which you meet your first Tyrant and make some startling discoveries.

Before you and Coco could muscle your way out of the Guild, one of the uniformed guards stopped you.

“Sorry to bother you, tamers, but would you mind taking this shipment to the Guild outpost in the Outlands?”

You glanced down at Coco. He was busy glaring at the Guild member. 

“What’s in it for us?”

“A cash reward.” She replied. 

You shrugged and grabbed the box, figuring it would at least give you something sharp to poke people with if they didn’t get out of your way fast enough. 

Coco dug his claws into the fabric of your cape until you were finally outside again.

“You’d think with all the money these guys have they’d make a bigger hall…” He grumbled. You chuckled silently and started heading down the massive staircase, keeping an eye out for Videll.

Weirdly, she was nowhere to be seen. 

“Oh, wait, MC!” Coco grabbed your sleeve and HAULED you to the sidewalk. “Can we stop in the shop? I wanna get some Nexotraps for the Outlands.”

You nodded and headed inside together. 

“Welcome, welcome!” A brown and white dog called out from behind the counter. “What do we have here? A rookie tamer and a… oh.”

Coco and the dog’s eyes narrowed in a mutual glare.

“...one of  _ those _ .”

“I’ll be outside, MC.”

You sent the shopkeep a withering stare and turned around to follow Coco, hoping that it was clear that he’d just lost a customer.

Nervous energy started radiating from where he stood behind the counter, amplifying until you and Coco reached the door.

“Wait, please! My apologies. I am…  _ unused  _ to such…  _ diverse  _ customers.” He bit out. “Please, stay, take a look around! Unfortunately, some of our best stock is reserved for higher-ranking tamers, but there is still plenty for you both to purchase.”

Coco shot you a side-eye and you smirked. 

_ Got ‘em. _

You and Coco turned around and browsed the wares, with Coco picking up a few traps and potions. You’d already gotten what you wanted from that traveling merchant outside the Orphanage, so you ended up wandering over to the second counter. An older human sat behind it inspecting shards.

“Mm? You a new tamer, kid?”

You nodded.

“Name’s Claive. I’ll take any elemental shards you find off your hands.” He turned a mind shard around in his hand, watching the light glint off it. “If you ain’t got any, I’m gonna have ‘ta ask ya to move outta the way.”

You glanced behind yourself and nodded, ducking to the side to let the person behind you go up to the counter. Coco was in line at the checkout.

You met him at the door and headed out, still keeping an eye open for Videll. She was just… gone.

“I know we’re supposed to go help that girl and all, buuuut…” Coco started, turning around to face you. “Wanna explore the city a little more? I think we could get a serious edge with some of those cores Amelie mentioned. We already have pretty beefy teams.”

You mulled it over for a second and nodded before pointing at the large pit on the edge of the city.

“Oh, the statue? Sure!” Coco grinned and the two of you headed over.

There was something about it that was bugging you, and you wanted to investigate. It was pretty famous, a recreation of the moment Ulzar slayed Omnicron for the first time.

**Too small.**

You’d always…  _ imagined  _ Omnicron was bigger. The statue made it look like he was about as big as a Centeror.

**Massive. House-sized.**

You stared into the statue’s eyes for a few more moments before nodding to Coco to signal you were ready to go. The feeling of wrongness had only intensified, but there wasn’t anything you could do about it.

The lab building loomed above you, giant and white and shining in the morning sun. Coco held the door open for you as you entered. Honestly, you were only interested in experience cores. If your Nexomon were so weak they needed to rely on strength-boosting cores, it was because you weren’t training them enough.

You checked over the shard requirements for making experience cores and recorded it in your little notebook. Coco was busy fuming about him not having enough shards to make the cores he wanted. You silently handed over enough of your own to get him at least a few cores, since you didn’t have enough for your own anyway. He gaped at you before tightly hugging your leg.

“Thanks MC!! You’re the best!”

You laughed quickly and watched Bonnie, the lead scientist, synthesize the cores. Once that was over you took a quick peek into the other lab, where one of the other scientists made a very…  _ interesting  _ offer.

“Ah, excuse me young tamer!” 

You turned your head to the scientist.

“Did you know that today’s Nexomon are quite different than those from a thousand years ago?”

You nodded carefully. This scientist seemed a little… off. Like he hadn’t gotten enough coffee this morning, or maybe too much…

“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could bring them back?”

Coco gave you one of the most intense ‘let’s leave and call the Guild’ looks you’d ever seen in your life.  **Something** was urging you to keep listening, though.

“MC, no, you aren’t helping this man clone dead Nexomon!” He whined.

“Ha, no need for that! Would you care to battle and see what they’re really made of?” 

You gave a dangerous grin and sent out Dichala. Whatever happened after that, you blacked out for. Each Nexomon filled your head with images of a different time, enough that you were panting for breath when the battle was over.

“You alright? Should we stop for something to eat?” Coco asked, sending you a concerned look. You swallowed hard and nodded, indicating you were alright. Well, as alright as you could be when you were sweating this hard. You couldn’t even remember what those images had been, only that something was very, very wrong here. 

“Say, you’re a pretty good tamer!” The man grinned. “Care to learn how to catch these beauties?”

You couldn’t have nodded any faster without giving yourself whiplash.

“Excellent! All you need is this experimental lure, and I just so happen to have an extra! For a price, of course…” He produced the lure. “I think one-thousand is fair, don’t you?”

You handed over the money without objection, surprising both the man and Coco. Without another word, you grabbed Coco and dragged him out of the lab.

“Hey, hey! What’s up with you?!” He complained, feet scrabbling for purchase.

You were halfway to the Outlands by the time you stopped, Coco’s claws digging into your arm and drawing little pinpricks of blood. “What in the world’s gotten into you MC?!” 

You stared at the lure, heart pounding. 

**Find them.**

**Find them.**

**Find them find them find them find them find them find them fi--**

“MC!” Coco yelled, slapping your arm harshly. You flinched and shook your head, then sent him an apologetic smile. “Seriously, do you need to sit down or something? You’re all over the place today.” 

You shook your head, pocketing the lure and letting out Foxdra again. If you were heading to the Outlands, may as well make people think twice about attacking you. 

“Alright, but if you keep doing this weird shit I’m making you sit down and eat.” Coco grumbled, leading the way.

You made a pitstop at the Guild outpost to hand off the supplies, getting a few coins as reward from the person there. And of course, another Guild member told you there was a little girl missing somewhere in the Outlands. Lovely.

And still no sign of Videll, of course. You’d made sure to differentiate the two.

You and Coco pulled up a little map you’d been given with your Bronze Badges and located the lake in the Outlands. 

“Do you think it’s actually frozen over? I wonder what caused it…” Coco mused as you walked. You appreciated that he didn’t let awkward silences happen between the two of you, since you couldn’t really contribute to the conversation like this. You’d both learn sign, but that wasn’t super useful when you were holding a giant map to make sure you didn’t get lost. And Coco couldn’t hold it, obviously, because he was just too small. This map would be like hauling around a blanket for him.

You elbowed Coco immediately once you spotted two blonde braids up ahead. There were two masked people in front of her--

**Heh, like the Justice Knights.**

_ Who? _

“Don’t move!”

“Huh?” Alright, so Videll clearly didn’t know these two.

“No questions! Hand over all your Nexomite.”

The look on her shifted from confusion to deadpan. “I dare you to take another step forward, losers.”

The two masked assailants looked at each other before bursting into laughter. “What, like  _ this _ ?”

What happened next would’ve made  **\--N** proud. Videll slammed them both to the ground with ease in a display of strength you could never hope to match.

**I could.**

_ No, I can’t. I’m not that strong. _

She stared down at them boredly. “I smash rocks for a living. I’m going to the lake.”

And without even looking at you and Coco, she walked off.

You glanced at Coco, then at the two people on the ground. He shrugged and approached them.

“Hey, are you guys… ok?”

One made a groaning noise and you quickly pulled Coco back as they sprang up. 

“HA! Gotcha! Now that the biggest threat is gone, you’ll give us all your cash! All according to plan!”

Liar.

You rolled your shoulders back and let out Foxdra, but were immediately assailed by a wave of nausea. You needed to get it off your team, and FAST. As soon as this battle was over.

Somehow, you fought through it to help Coco take out the thieves. 

When it was all said and done, you cast the Foxdra an apologetic glance before returning it to it’s trap. You knew it understood.

But that left you with only four Nexomon. Not great, if you needed to do any more fighting. Dichala would have to start carrying again. And speaking of, you wanted to let it out. If you could talk to Foxdra, you should be able to talk to Dichala, and it was your starter.

**Not my starter. --t--n-x.**

_ I have literally never had a Nexomon before this morning, ominous past-life voice. _

You mocked yourself, but these visions and unsolicited comments were getting… concerning. You should probably tell someone about it, and it seemed like Foxdra had known more than it was letting on. Whatever. Right now, you just needed to finish this mission and get back to the Orphanage to share the profits.

“Come on, let’s get out of here. We should tell Amelie about the bandits when we get back.” Coco sighed, pulling on your pant leg before moving ahead again.

You nodded and put away the map. Two very distinct noises--

**Teleporters!**

\--sounded out behind you, making you flinch and turn around, instinctively getting into a fighting stance. You noticed you were reaching for something that didn’t exist, and it filled you with that same sense of loss you’d felt back in the Nexolord’s cave. 

“Woah! Did they just teleport away?!” Coco yelled, running back to you. “Wait, were you gonna fight them?”

You frowned and shook your head, turning around and waving him off. ‘Let’s just go.’

“Alright, alright, no need to be so huffy.” Coco teased, swatting at one of your hands as you signed. You shared a giggle and took off again for the cave. Why Videll wanted a Guild escort when she was clearly capable of handling herself was beyond you.

You bent down so Coco could hop up on your shoulders. You’d watched him try to run around on the ice when you were kids and, well, it wasn’t pretty.

“Hey! Videll! You weren’t kidding about the ice!” He called out.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, cause this is totally something I’d lie about.” 

**She’s funny. I like her.**

_ No, she’s annoying.  _

She glared at you, clearly expecting some kind of response. You stared at her, and for a brief moment…

**Where am I? This place is all wrong. Where’s -----------???**

You shook your head, startling Coco. Who… what was that? Why did you feel that way? And why did that deadpan expression feel so… familiar? Like you’d done it a million times before...

“What’s wrong with your partner, cat-boy?” She complained.

You could feel Coco shoot her a glare on your behalf. “MC’s a mute, asshole.”

That shut Videll up for a moment, and you gave her a sarcastic grin. That was enough to make her start back up. “Ugh, whatever! Let’s just go. Stupid bronze tamers…” 

She grumbled the whole way inside. “Just protect me from the Nexomon! They’re weirdly hostile right now, so I hope you’re ready.”

You let out Dichala in response, who gave out a cursory growl as he looked for his opponent. He stared at you in mild confusion when he realized there was nothing to fight at the moment.

_ Uh… hi? Sorry, I’m not great at introductions. _

_ Why did you send me out? _

_ Oh! That’s because I wanted Videll, the human girl with the pigtails to feel safe. We’re escorting her through this cave right now! _

He seemed to accept that and trotted alongside you over the icy patches of ground.

You caught a few new Nexomon inside the cave as you moved through, listening to Videll get increasingly frustrated at the lack of Nexomite.

**Nexonium. It’s called Nexonium.**

_ No?? It’s called Nexomite??? _

“It’s like this place is already completely mined out! This sucks!” 

_ This human girl is awfully upset about something. Why? _

_ She’s looking for a rare crystal, but she can’t find it.  _ You replied easily. Talking to Dichala was a lot easier than talking to Foxdra. 

Coco squeezed your shoulder and pointed at something over your head. Following his paw, you spotted a large crystal.

“Hey! Videll! Is that it?” He called out finally. 

She jumped, looking around wildly. “What?! Where?!”

You pointed disinterestedly. 

“Oh, yes! That’s it! Hey, this went pretty smoothly after all.” She grinned. “You two aren’t that ba--”

The ground rumbled, interrupting her. You grabbed her arm and pulled her behind you as Dichala bristled.

“I spoke too soon. I hate you both.” She hissed. The ground shook two more times, and then a giant hole opened up, swallowing all 4 of you.

You grabbed Dichala and curled into a ball around him, feeling Coco’s claws dig into you as he shrieked. Videll was copying you, curling into a ball and trying to angle herself so she could land on you at the bottom of the pit.

You all landed in a pile and she jumped up, taking off. “I’m getting out of here! Later losers!”

You coughed sharply, wheezing to get air back into your lungs. 

“You asshole!” Coco called out after her, also coughing. 

Dichala crawled out of your arms carefully and helped push you up. 

_ Are you alright, ruler? _

_ Ugh, not the ruler stuff again. Just call me MC. _ And I’ll be fine as soon as we get out of here. Are you alright? You asked, pulling Coco gently off your shoulders and checking him over for injuries. He had a scrape on his side where he hit the ground, but he mostly seemed alright.

You took a few more minutes to patch yourselves up and make sure none of your items were damaged in the fall before moving through this new layer of the cave. You were definitely going to need to find a new way up, because that hole was easily three times your height.

“Wait, MC, stop!” Coco whisper-yelled, grabbing your arm. “That’s Videll!”

Sure enough, a frozen Videll was standing with a terrified expression on her face in the middle of a large clearing. 

“L-let’s go back, MC. We need help--”

“You ain’t going anywhere, kitty!” A new voice sounded out. “It’s awful lonely down here, why don’t you two stay a while?”

You pulled Dichala and Coco back as a girl dropped down from the ceiling, followed immediately by…

“Nivalis! MC, we need to run, NOW!” Coco shrieked.

A deadly calm settled over you as you stared at the giant Nexomon. This, you could handle. This was…

**_Familiar._ **

“Well well well, ain’t this a jackpot! Three poor little hostages, Nivalis. The Guild’ll think twice before coming after us now!”

_ You will not win this war, monster. _

You grit your teeth as Nivalis’ voice washed over you, cold and calculating.  _ Says you. Dichala, take this thing out! _

He jumped to the front with no hesitation, snarling at the Tyrant fearlessly. Assessing the monster, it was clear it had been significantly weakened before coming here. There was a chance, a small chance, that you could win this.

Dichala did everything he could before swapping out with Siki, who was close to levelling up. 

_ You have type advantage, just finish this thing off Siki! _

Nivalis was teetering on the brink of defeat when you made your final switch to Bira. You were going to avoid sending out Lume if you could help it.

Bira gave the final blow before skitting over the ice and back into your arms. She was clearly not appreciating the cold weather, seeing as her secondary moves were fire-based. 

“Ugh! I knew this would happen.” The Renegade, as you now knew, griped. “Nivalis is still exhausted from that other fight, so you just got lucky! We gotta get out of here, quick--”

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, Atlanta.” You recognized Edward’s voice from your nightmare-visions and used the distraction to back away from the giant snow crab. Just because it was too tired to fight didn’t mean it couldn’t easily crush you with its giant claws. 

“Cowering in a dark and cold cavern, are we? A fitting end to your sad story.”

“Edward! How do you keep finding me?!” She growled, stepping between him and her Tyrant. 

Edward smirked. “Well, let’s see… it  _ couldn’t  _ be the giant frozen lake, could it?”

She bristled at the mockery. 

Edward strode forward, applying an antifreeze to Videll and ordering her to get behind him. She screamed shamelessly when she saw Nivalis’ hulking form behind her. 

“Come now, Atlanta. Let’s end this. The Guild wants a word with you.” Edward snapped his glove threateningly, which looked, frankly, ridiculous.

“Nivalis! Retreat!” She yelled. You flinched again at the sound of the teleporter going off. 

Bonnie, who had tagged along, had also flinched. But you were pretty sure it was for a different reason. “Sir, she’s getting away!”

Edward just sighed. “Let her go. We have bigger problems to deal with.”

“That thing eats people!” Coco yelled from behind you. He’d been too terrified to help with the fight, not that you’d minded.  **You were used to fighting on your own.**

Edward turned around to get a look at you. “MC and Coco, right? You’re rookie Bronze Tamers. Sending you here was an…  _ unfortunate  _ oversight on Amelie’s part. I doubt she expected this to happen…”

“I told you!” Videll yelled, pointing accusingly at Edward. He ignored her, which made her even angrier.

“You performed exceptionally well, though. We have much to talk about, but first let’s get you all out of here.” He smiled. Apparently he and Bonnie had brought a rope ladder with and secured it in the hole. 

Once you were safely back outside, Videll started yelling again. “What the hell was that thing?! And who are you two?!”

Bonnie clicked her pen and took a step forward. “That was a Tyrant, which you would do well to avoid. Renegades and their Tyrants are unimaginably powerful. As far as us, I’m the head researcher in the Parum lab, and this is Edward. He’s one of the Guild’s Grandmasters.”

He ran a hand through his hair in what you could only assume was an attempt to make himself look cool. “Yes, we were hunting Nivalis earlier. I am sorry you had to go through that. We were… unable to dispatch them, and they escaped here. Please, return to the Guild and tell Amelie everything.”

“Oh, you bet I’m telling her everything!” Videll hissed.

He continued to ignore her. “Oh, and one other thing. I want to give you two something. It’s normally a privilege reserved for Silver Tamers, but that display was more than enough to warrant access. Please, follow me.”

He walked up to one of the warp crystals you’d seen tamers use outside the Orphanage and placed a hand on it. 

“I’m sure you already know what this is, but we have to go through the formalities. This is a warpstone, and the Guild have created a network of these monoliths to easily deploy tamers around the world. I, as a Grandmaster of the Guild, am giving you permission to use them. Please step forward and place your hand, and, uh, paw on the crystal.”

You and Coco stepped forward, staring at Edward awkwardly. 

The warpstone turned blue suddenly, startling both of you.

“Alright, congratulations!” Bonnie grinned as you took your hands off. “The warpstone at Parum City is already activated as well, so you can go there straight away. Thanks for your help with Nivalis, MC and Coco!”

Bonnie disappeared using the warpstone, leaving Edward alone. “Please don’t concern yourselves with the Tyrants. As Bronze Tamers, they aren’t your concern. But thank you.”

He cast one last smile over his shoulder before also warping away. Videll was impatiently tapping her foot behind you. “Well? What about me?! I’m not a Guild Tamer, I can’t--”

You cut her off by grabbing her arm and pulling her through the warp with you.

She spluttered angrily as you waited for Coco to come through, and then you both dragged her up to the Guild office to get your reward. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's hip n happenin kids, guess who's been on that Honors College grind for the past however long it's been since I last updated?  
> But like genuinely my updates are gonna be more sporadic since it's kinda crunch time and I would really like to graduate with honors :p I'm not abandoning my baby though, so don't worry :3  
> Bold is Y/N-slash-memories  
> Italics is thoughts-slash-telepathically speaking to Nexomon  
> Single quotes is sign language  
> Double quotes is spoken dialogue
> 
> Damn, wonder how everyone else in Y/N's timeline is doing... I wonder how long you've been gone for :////


	24. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you get to find out what's going on back home, after your untimely disappearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! Sorry I've been off the grid for so long ;p But I promise I have a good excuse!  
> Finals week just ended, I got into grad school, and I've been caught up taking care of all that (and my family celebrating xmas pushed me back another two days of work)  
> But that's all sorted out now, so hopefully I can start putting out more chapters :3 Enjoy the brief little interlude before we get back to MC and Coco's shenanigans!

Pandemonium. Not right away. First, they searched. Hilda especially kept searching, desperate to locate even a flicker of your existence.

That was Day 1.

Day 2 was filled with grim determination as they began spreading the search out. More than one person wondered if you hadn’t taken another impromptu vacation to Kahn Woods, but as the hours wore on with no progress, the determination turned to desperation.

A missing person’s report was put out as James once again took up the mantle of Nexolord. Ellie had declared herself the temporary leader of your team, sending your six Nexomon all over the world to find you. Kitsunox was beside himself, shrieking at anything and everything in the hope that it would get your attention and make you reveal yourself.

He’d seen the pink void you dropped into. Seen the hooded figure. Smelled her.

Smelled  _ Deena _ .

But not the Deena who’d traveled with you and helped save the world. Not her. This was a nervous Deena, a dangerous woman that reeked of desperation.

He didn’t want to think about where you’d been taken or what was currently happening to you. He didn’t even want to acknowledge that you were likely in a different world right now. If he admitted that to himself, it meant you were gone. 

_ Gone _ , gone.

So he didn’t mention it to anyone. Not when the rest of the team tried to reach out to him, not when the Children of Omnicron asked him if he could remember anything else, and not when Omnicron himself pinned him with a gaze that would have killed any lesser Nexomon. 

You had trained him better than that. Omnicron may be the King of Monsters, but Kitsunox would rather die than bow to him.

-

Glacia stared at the spot you’d just been standing, going over your transition plans as the new Nexolord. You’d let out a shriek that had been cut off almost instantly, and then you were gone. 

She diligently searched the Tower, calling out your name into every room she opened. The place was massive, and it had taken all day to search. Everyone came up empty handed.

“We need to keep searching!”

“James, we can’t keep going like this. We need to rest, or we’re going to be useless.”

“Deena’s right. Y/N can handle themself for a night.” Ellie sighed, putting up a hand. “They’re a lot stronger than they look.”

All of your Nexomon were clustered around the scientist girl. Your Kitsunox was pacing restlessly, clearly agitated as he’d been the closest when you disappeared. 

“I’m with James. If he wants to keep searching, I will too.” Glacia crossed her arms.

A chill ran down her spine as Zetta slung an arm around her shoulder. “Look, Glacia, we appreciate the help,” He hissed into her ear, “but you humans aren’t really gonna be useful in this situation. My siblings and I are gonna be moving too fast for you all to keep up, so go get some sleep, mkay?”

Glacia watched Nadine whisper something into James’ ear that made him stalk off in a huff.

“Fine! We start again tomorrow. Everyone up by 6! If I find a single hair out of place on Y/N’s head--”

He turned a corner, cutting off whatever he had been about to say.

“Deena, Ellie, you guys know Y/N the best. You should go talk to him.” Zetta said loudly. “I’ll be escorting Glacia home!”

Glacia immediately teleported out of his grasp. “Oh no you don’t,  _ I’m  _ his best friend! We’ve known each other since we were kids!  _ I  _ should be the one taking care of him!”

Zetta and Deena shared a look. “ _ I’m _ his sister. I’ve known him longer than you’ve been  _ alive _ . Go home, Glacia. Get some rest.”

Both green-haired girls turned to follow James down the hall, tailed by Y/N’s entire team of Nexomon.

Kitsunox threw a look over his shoulder that froze Glacia to the spot. In all her years of living in the Frozen Tundra, she’d never felt that cold.

-

“Look, I’m going to be straight-up: I don’t like you. I don’t know what you did to Y/N to make them like you, but you’re an idiot if you think I’m gonna fold over just because Y/N did.” Ellie crosses her arms and glares at him, which Atlas mimics. He’d been scanning all your location data from when he first met you to try and find the most likely spot you’d be in to start the search tomorrow. 

James was laying face-down on his bed and trying to not throw a pillow at your best friend. “If you’re just going to bitch me out, the door is right there.”

Deena rolled her eyes. “Look, we can sit here arguing or we can try to start a list of places Y/N might be in.”

“Already compiled!” Atlas chimed in. “I’ve just finished analyzing, and the most likely place for Y/N to be in is Hendrick’s Restaurant in Palmaya!”

“...Not quite, Atlas.” Ellie sighed. “If I had to guess, they’re either stuck back in the Nightmare, at their parent’s temp house in Palmaya, in Kahn Woods hiding, at home in Parum, or in the woods around their house. But from the way they screamed…”

James lifted his head just enough to stare at Ellie, momentarily intrigued by the outside perspective on your life. He hadn’t been able to learn all that much about you in the 3 years you’d interacted.

“...I think they might’ve been kidnapped. If that’s the case, then they should be back before morning.” Ellie tapped her fingers on the arm of her wheelchair, listening to her nails clicking against the metal. “If they’re not here when we wake up, then there’s a good chance that they’re hiding from something and we won’t be able to find them until they want to be found.”

“What do you mean?!” James sat up fully, twisting to look at her.

Ellie swept her eyes over everyone in the room. “You know that Y/N has some minor psychic powers, right? With the visions and everything?”

“Yes?”

“When we were little, if Y/N ever got into a bad mood, they would just disappear for an afternoon. Well, usually. One time they went into the woods and didn’t come out for three days. They would just leave little notes on their parents’ doorstep to let them know that they were safe. We never… we didn’t have the equipment to look into Y/N’s powers, so there’s a good chance that they’re hiding themself from Hilda and everyone else. I haven’t been able to check in with them for a while, but I’m sure they’re stressed about everything going on right now.”

“So what you’re saying is there’s nothing we can do?” James growled, rubbing at his face.

Deena was staring off into the distance, deep in thought. “Ellie, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“If they’re anywhere in the woods, your father might be able to get the Nexomon to find them. If they’re in a town, it’s a matter of time before a human spots them.”

“Exactly! I’ll go tell Father Omnicron.” Deena clapped her hands together and teleported out of the room.

Ellie’s gaze turned steely as soon as she disappeared. “You need to back off Y/N. They’re under enough pressure right now without worrying about you.”

James returned her gaze full-force. “No.”

“No?” Ellie cracked her knuckles, fully prepared to fight.

“No. As the previous Nexolord, I’m the person they need most right now. I’m not going to pretend I can replace you as their best friend, but you have no idea what running the world looks like.”

“We have Remus.”

“Remus doesn’t have half the manpower I do. And that’s not even mentioning my family.”

Ellie flashed a dangerous smile. “Are you saying that the only reason Omnicron is cooperating is because of your little crush on Y/N? Or are you talking about yourself? Have you even thought about what’ll happen when you guys inevitably break up? You’re immortal, James. Y/N isn’t going to be around forever, and I hope they realize that soon. What happens when they die? Are you all going to go back on your treaty and exterminate everyone?”

Ellie kept pressing, asking question after question without giving James time to think, let alone respond. 

Eventually, he got fed up and teleported away. Everyone else be damned, he wasn’t going to sleep until he found you.

“Glacia?”

“James?”

“Come on. We’re going to find Y/N. You still have your radio?”

“Of course!”

“Good. We’re getting Juliet, too.”

“Wh-?!”

The three searched into the wee hours of the morning, with Juliet and Glacia both intermittently trying to get James to talk over the radios. He chewed them both out thoroughly after two hours, ordering them to only use them in an emergency or if they spotted you.

The girls returned home in the wee hours of the morning, both worse for wear and nursing their already-massive grudges against you.

Wherever you were, there was going to be hell to pay when you got back.

-

“I found him. He’s passed out on top of Kahn Woods.” Nadine spoke into the radio.

Omnicron’s voice crackled through. “Bring him back to the Tower. He won’t be of any use like that. If he tries to fight you, put him in that… Nexotrap.” 

The word was like poison on Omnicron’s tongue, but he couldn’t have his youngest burning himself out over some  _ human _ . Even one as…  _ interesting…  _ as Y/N. 

Everyone else had woken up that morning to a message from Atlas, telling them the search area they were expected to cover. 

Merida was making constant rounds of the coast.

Zetta, Nadine, and Luhava were soaring over portions of the sky.

Hilda had holed herself up in her mansion, poring furiously over her crystal ball to glean any more information she could about your position. Occasionally, she would catch flashes of the blue-haired child she’d seen before, but nothing about you.

Everyone else was running over the ground, asking after your whereabouts or terrorizing the local Nexomon population.

“Y/N’s parents say they haven’t seen them at all.”

“No one in the Nightmare has seen them.”

“Ziegler says they’re not in the Netherworld.”

“The bartender says Y/N hasn’t been here in a few days.”

“They’re not inside the house.”

“They haven’t come back to the Tower either.”

More and more places were crossed off as it became clear that wherever you were, it was somewhere unreachable by both Nexomon and humans.

Ziegler had been especially intrigued when he found out you had gone missing. Almost as interested as Omnicron himself, who had witnessed the event live. 

Omnicron had only agreed to this little ‘alliance’ because of you. 

Ziegler had only agreed to your plan because you were too strong to capture.

With you out of the picture, though…

Ellie, Atlas, and your team spent their time discussing how they were going to keep everyone in line until you returned. Luckily, all of the Children of Omnicron were more focused on finding you than pursuing their original goal of world domination. 

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glacia, Juliet, Omnicron, Ziegler... what's going to happen to your world now? Will you be able to get back in time to fix everything, or will you come back to an empty husk?


	25. Kidnappers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are kids, and you really want to take a nap.

Back in the future timeline, you had just finished getting your reward and parting ways with Videll. Amelie even gave you a history lesson about the Tyrant War that had put you face-to-face with Nivalis.

**_Stupid crab._ **

What was more important, though, was the flashes of memory you’d seen when Amelie mentioned Omnicron, the old King of Monsters. You’d been a sweating, shaking mess after that. 

Now, you and Coco were sprinting for the Orphanage after mentor--

**Ulrich.**

After. MENTOR. Told you that it was under attack. 

You sprinted with Coco on your back, still pissed you hadn’t been able to hunt any new Nexomon yet. Your “inner voice” hadn’t shut up since you’d gotten the experimental lure, but you had no idea what you were supposed to look for. 

Either way, Ross and Nora were just up ahead, so you didn’t have time to think on it anymore. You slid to a stop and allowed Coco to hop off your back before addressing the other orphans with a nod. 

Ross looked less than thrilled about your arrival. “What’s the point of sending all four of us? I can handle this myself. And why is Coco here?!”

You shared a look with Coco, who immediately threw down a Nexotrap.

“Woah!” Ross must’ve leapt ten feet back, seeing the Masqat giggling before him. Or rather, the Masqat’s mask. Masqat didn’t have a face, and it held its mask like a shield in front of the rest of its body. “When did you become a tamer?!”

“Same time you did, idiot. Besides, MC is mute. Do you want them negotiating with kidnappers??” Coco waved his paws at you.

Ross rolled his eyes. “Negotiate?? Don’t make me laugh. I’m just gonna bust down the door and beat ‘em all up!” 

“Calm down.” Nora started, visibly annoyed. “Our main priority is to get the hostages out. We also need to figure out their intentions… Attacking an orphanage doesn’t make sense.”

While you, Nora, and Coco all stared pensively at the Orphanage, trying to figure out why the kidnappers would attack your home, Ross was already halfway up the steps.

“Hurry up! This could be our promotion to silver tamers!” He called back.

“Be careful!” Nora yelled, but it was too late. He was already through the doors. 

The inside was eerily quiet as the three of you entered. Ross was nowhere to be seen, and more alarmingly, you couldn’t hear him. 

“Let’s split up. Coco, if you or MC get in trouble, call out for help.” Nora whispered. “MC, you’re the strongest tamer out of all of us, so we’re counting on you.”

You nodded and split off, heading into the bedroom while Nora slipped upstairs. 

Inside were three kids and one kidnapper. 

“-mmm, no, it’s not you.” She murmured, looking over the assembled children. “Augh! My lord is going to be furious! We’re running out of time…” She hissed.

You glanced at Coco and nodded.

“Hey lady!” 

“Wh--?!” She whipped around, cape flaring out dramatically. “Who goes there?!”

You both flashed your Guild badges and directed your lead Nexomon to the front. Masqat and Dichala were both more than ready for some action. 

“Shit!” The kidnapper clearly wasn’t expecting anyone to fight back, much less a 2-on-1 battle, but she gave you as much of a fight as she could. 

That is to say, not much of a fight at all. 

When all was said and done the woman just fled, leaving you and Coco with three of your foster-siblings. They were clearly shaken, but upon recognizing the two of you they broke into tentative smiles. You put a finger to your lips, not wanting them to alert any other potential kidnappers. 

After giving the three a once-over and putting them in better hiding places, the two of you slipped out and towards the sound of fighting. 

Ross was chasing another kidnapper around a table while two kids watched in horror.

“GET OVER HERE!” Ross shrieked, “YOU CAN’T JUST BREAK INTO MY HOME LIKE THAT!”

“Get off me kid! You’re wasting my time!” The kidnapper responded. “I have to find the target for my lord!”

**Me.**

Coco pressed a paw firmly against your leg, silently asking you to hang back from where you were both watching the situation. You nodded and allowed him to go in without you. He and Ross made quick work of the man (not quite as quick as YOU and Coco, but whatever), which gave you plenty of time to think about the voice in your head and why it seemed so hell-bent on… well, everything, really. 

You came to just in time to quickly duck behind the wall as the kidnapper fled. Coco waved you in once the door was closed to help check over the two kids.

“Guild tamers are the best!” One laughed, wrapping you in a hug with her tiny arms. 

Ross had his back turned and was staring out into the hallway. “Hmph, just doing my job… but I  _ am  _ pretty awesome. Name’s Ross, by the way. Don’t forget it.”

“Did you get hit in the head before we got here, or are you just stupid?” Coco rolled his eyes.

“We know who you are Ross!!!” The kids whined. “Geez, you’ve been here longer than we have!”

“...Get outta here before I smack you in the face.”    
Ross had about half a second to process what he’d just said before  _ you  _ smacked  _ him  _ in the face for threatening the younger kids. He yelped and took off, yelling something about finding other kidnappers. You rolled your eyes, knowing he was definitely going to find somewhere to hide and nurse that slap. You weren’t particularly strong--

**Anymore.**

\--but Ross wasn’t exactly beefy either, so it all evened out. 

“Alright, you guys need to stay here and hide in case there are more kidnappers. Got it? Be really quiet for us.” Coco whispered. They nodded furiously before finding their hiding places and letting the two of you go.

You led Coco upstairs after a thorough check of the ground floor for any more kidnappers. Nora was on the landing blocking two of them from passing. Impressive, honestly. 

She glanced back at you and gave a downright malicious grin before turning back to the kidnappers. “Alright, we’ve got ‘em cornered now!”

“The Guild tamers are here, we have to run!” One hissed, grabbing the other by the arm. 

The other one jerked away. “Not yet! We still need the target. Come on, we can do this! We’re so close!”

You, Coco, and Nora  _ decimated  _ the last two kidnappers. It didn’t help that they were yelling at each other about running away versus finding their mysterious ‘target’ the entire time. 

You didn’t have enough manpower to detain them after the fight, so they ran off just like the others had. 

Nora watched as they took off down the stairs. “It’s strange, isn’t it?”

“What is?” Coco asked, not looking up from the kid he was attending to. One of them had slipped on the floor and scraped their elbow. 

Nora just sighed and turned around. “They were looking for a particular kid. We’ll have to report that to the Guild, but for now I’m going to take everyone outside and make sure they’re alright. Nice job, you two!”

You and Nora squeezed each others’ shoulders as she passed. 

You and Coco took one last lap through the building, gathering up all the kids you’d rescued from their hiding places and sending them outside to reconvene with Nora.

“I think that’s everyone now,” Coco hummed, looking around, “We should head out and report back.”

**BACK!**

You flinched backwards, covering your face as a blinding red light covered your surroundings. 

“I can see you, MC… You thought you could fool my eyes… but I know what you are destined to do… AND I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!”

The voice was familiar in a very bad way, especially because you had no memory flashes to go with it. You were just left with this gnawing sense of dread and foreboding. Whatever creature that voice belonged to was dangerous. Worse than Deena.

“You do now know me yet… but one day, we shall meet face to face… and you will know EXACTLY who I am… fear me, MC…”

You picked up Coco’s time-frozen body and sprinted out of the hallway as quickly as possible, not stopping until you were outside with all the other children and that sense of pure terror started to recede. 

Mentor-

**Ulrich.**

-was outside with everyone when you practically busted the door open. 

“All clear?” Nora called out. You dropped Coco unceremoniously on the ground and whipped around to stare at the door, wholly focused on the ‘red voice,’ as you were calling it for now.

Coco huffed at you before answering Nora. “Yeah, all clear!”

He grabbed your arm and started to slowly drag you away from the door and towards everyone else. “I dunno what scared MC, but there’s no more kidnappers.”

“Everything scares MC, it was probably their own shadow.” Ross rolled his eyes. That comment was just enough to snap you out of your fear-trance and you whipped around to punch him in the arm. 

“Children, children! Enough.” Mentor-

**Ulrich.**

-snapped at you. He sighed and pulled on his beard before continuing. “You did well saving the orphanage. Come take your rewards, there’s no need to go back to the city.”

“Sir, the kidnappers were looking for a specific child.” Nora stated as she took her part of the reward. 

He nodded. “Right. And do you know who their target was?”

You stared at Coco for just a brief moment before she answered.

“I believe they were after MC.”

You froze, staring resolutely at the ground.

Ross, still rubbing his arm from where you’d punched him, wasn’t having it. “What gives, Nora? Who’d want someone as boring as MC?”

She held her hands up, from what you could see out of the corner of your eye. “Hey, it’s just a guess. But I had two of the kidnappers cornered and they were about to run away before MC and Coco showed up to help. And, no offense Coco, but I don’t think they would’ve been checking the other children if they were looking for you.” 

Coco shrugged and nodded. 

“But MC is so BORING!” Ross pouted.

“Shut up already.” Nora sent him a withering glare. 

You’d managed to raise your head a little, enough to notice  _ Ulrich  _ staring directly at you.

“Nora, Ross, go report your findings to the Guild. I need to speak with MC. Coco, please wait out here.”

You could feel your shoulders squaring like a dog’s hackles, raised and ready to fight. 

**Danger! Danger!**

But this was your mentor, he shouldn’t be dangerous… right?

You cautiously followed him inside, wondering why you were in a stance that felt strangely familiar but oh-so-wrong all at the same time. 

“I swear, for every braincell Ross is missing, Nora has twice as many…” He sighed, leading you upstairs. “But she’s right. They were after you. I fear the wheels of fate are turning faster than we predicted… It’s time you get some answers.”

**DANGER!**

As if an invisible force was moving you, your entire body contorted as you leapt away from the door Ulrich opened. He froze, staring back at you in mild shock and major confusion. “MC… are you alright?”

You could feel your heartrate and breath slowing as your body tried to prepare for what it believed to be a fight, but for some reason the muscles you thought you were  _ supposed  _ to have simply… didn’t exist. You took a sharp breath before standing to your full height again, keeping your arms out in front of you defensively. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He sighed, holding his hands up. You rolled all your muscles before slowly following him into the room that had been locked for longer than you could remember. Inside was a table and a large chest.

“MC…” He started, “You… don’t hold Tyrants in very high regard, do you?” 

You blinked a few times, confused by the question. 

“What if I told you that there’s a  _ good  _ Tyrant? One capable of becoming the Ruler of Monsters?” He bent down slowly, groaning as he opened the chest. “One with clear eyes and a mind unclouded by hate and madness… A Tyrant… of Light.” He huffed, pulling something out of the chest. His back was still turned to you. The warning bells in your head were going at full tilt now,  _ screaming  _ that you weren’t supposed to be here. It was taking all your willpower to not turn and sprint from the Orphanage as fast as possible. 

“Many people have spent their lifetimes searching for this Tyrant, your parents included. They… they never found the Tyrant, but they did make an unprecedented discovery, or so I’m told.” He turned around slowly, cradling something in his arms. “This relic supposedly belongs to the Tyrant of Light. Your parents left it for you. I imagine this is why those bandits were looking for you.” 

He carefully placed the object on the table. “You may do whatever you want with it. It is not your duty to search for a creature that may not exist. However, if you do choose to search for it, you will need to visit Eliza in the Immortal Citadel. She’s a very powerful psychic, and I imagine she’ll be able to tell you more about that relic.” He jabbed a finger at it. 

For such an important object, you really didn’t see the appeal. So, in the interest of getting the hell OUT of the orphanage, you picked it up ( _ weirdly light _ ) and placed it in your backpack. 

You met back up with Coco and motioned for him to follow you, only casting a single glance over your shoulder at the orphanage. Mentor Ulrich was staring at you from the window, worry lines etched into his face. 

Something told you he had been hiding how much he knew about this… ‘relic.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You, picking up the "relic": "Damn, this looks like a first grader's art project. It's hollow as shit and it reeks like paste. Coco, carry this for me, I don't want it taking up space in my bag."


	26. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which you meet someone very important.

Upon further inspection, the ‘relic’ was definitely just a very shoddily made paper-mache egg-thing. You relayed this information to Coco, who confirmed it with a single (very disgusted) sniff.   
“This reeks. It’s just glue and paint. What do we do with it?” He started tossing it from paw to paw, feeling about the same as you did (two seconds away from throwing it into the dirt and destroying it for fun). 

**Later. Find extinct Nexomon.**

That little voice in your head had been urging you non-stop to hunt down the extinct Nexomon, but considering what had happened during the fight with the scientist you were more than a little apprehensive about what finding one would do to you. Frankly, you were more interested in meeting Eliza. “Ulrich,” or whatever the voice said his name was, had definitely lied about the relic, but Eliza was a well-known and respected witch. 

**Hi--a.**

_ Who? Stop talking nonsense, I don’t even know why I listen to you half the time… _

**...Bitch.**

_ Exactly my point.  _

You rolled your eyes and picked up the egg, scratching at the paint and watching it flake off to reveal newspaper underneath. No matter, you could deal with it later. 

Actually…

Eliza might be more willing to talk if you kept Ulrich’s little ‘gift’ intact. You signed your plan to Coco and headed deeper into the woods, slowly becoming aware of more and more eyes watching you from between the trees. You almost wished you’d kept Foxdra with you. 

The closer you got to the Citadel the more your body started to be…  _ pulled? _ in the direction of a little side path. Down the shadowy dirt path (weirdly clean) you noticed what seemed to be an incredibly old tree. You tapped Coco on the shoulder to get his attention and asked if you could check out the path quick. 

“Uh, sure, but… this place kinda gives me the creeps, so let’s go fast? Okay?”

You nodded.

Big mistake.

“Psst…  _ Psssssssssst……. _ ”

Your head whipped around wildly searching for the source of the noise as Coco’s fur began to fluff up. 

“Hey kiddo! Look at me!  _ Over here!! _ ”

“Who’s saying that?! I don’t see anyth-!!”

You grabbed Coco by the arm and  _ wrenched  _ him upwards onto your shoulders, leaping backwards and away from the GIANT GAPING MAW in front of you. For as much as the voice in your head was trying to scream, not a single noise was coming out of your mouth. 

Luckily, Coco could scream for the both of you. His claws dug sharply into your shirt as he tried to pull you both back and away from the tree’s sharp teeth.

**USE YOUR NEXOMON!!!**

Dichala snarled threateningly, but you knew he was going to be no match for this thing if it tried to attack. 

“Don’t be  _ afraid _ , MC! I’m just your average  _ friendly  _ tree!”

I definitely didn’t tell this thing my name!

“MC, run, PLEASE!” Coco shrieked in your ear. 

“Oh please, I’m  _ harmless _ ! Look at these stubby little hands! I’m  _ Mr. Short Hands _ ! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...”

_ YOUR HANDS AREN’T THE ISSUE! WHY ARE YOUR TEETH SO SHARP?! WHY DOES A TREE HAVE TEETH?!?!?!?! _

Unfortunately, the voice in your head seemed to have taken enough control of your body to keep you stuck in this spot. Guess retreat wasn’t going to be an option. 

“ _ Please _ , MC, let’s LEAVE!” Coco tugged your shoulders backwards again, but you were still trapped by the idiotic side of your brain that demanded you stay and fight. 

“NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!” The tree started shouting, which was making the entire situation  _ much  _ worse in your book. “Please, take this… this wonderful gift…” 

A golden Nexotrap dropped from  _ somewhere  _ in the branches, and before you could stop yourself you were reaching forward for it. 

_ NO! What if there’s some condition to taking it?!  _

**Resources.**

_ I DON’T WANT THE RESOURCE IF IT’S GOING TO MAKE DO SOMETHING SKETCHY!! _

You could feel the piercing glare Coco was sending you from atop your shoulders as you spun the Nexotrap on your finger (again, how did you know how to do that?!). 

“MC. Don’t take his stuff.”

Completely ignoring Coco, Mr. Short Hands continued. “I have soooooo many gifts, but so few friends…” 

“I wonder why.” Coco whispered in your ear sarcastically. 

“You know, I’ve always wanted to be a Nexomon tamer myself…”

“MC, he’s going to eat you, and I want you to know that it’s going to be all your fault for not moving.” 

“...but with these short hands, I can never catch any…”

“If you don’t  _ move _ he’s going to catch YOU.”

“If you could bring me some Nexomon friends, I would be  _ forever  _ grateful!”

“Don’t you  _ dare _ , he’s going to eat them or something else messed up.”

“Just a few Nexomon… to keep me company in this  _ lonely  _ forest…” 

“MC,  _ no _ . BAD human. BAD!”

“Dreaver and Griff! Those are the two Nexomon that I ask for! You can find them in the area nearby. How  _ convenient _ !! Once you bring them to me, you’ll be  _ greatly rewarded _ ~”

“MC we are here to talk to Eliza, I swear if you sidetrack us for this monster I’ll steal your good blanket when we go back to the Orphanage next.”

Your arm moved of its own accord, giving the monster a thumbs-up while a strangely familiar neutral stare took over your face. You noticed the tree creature seemed to be a bit unnerved by the look, so maybe it wasn’t all that bad that you weren’t completely in control of your own body. 

“Uh… are you alright, kiddo?” Mr. Short Hands asked. 

**Your** shoulders shrugged and  **you** snapped at  **Kits** -ala to follow you, heading to the area the tree had described. 

“MC? MC??” Coco slapped at  **your** shoulder as you quickly found and captured the two requested Nexomon. “You don’t have to do this! We can pretend that never happened!”

**Your** lips moved, perfectly forming the words ‘I don’t turn down free stuff’ even though no sound came out.

The tree handed over a golden Nexotrap and Vault Key, among other things, as **you** handed over the two Nexomon. They weren’t anything **you** recognized, so **you** had no problem handing them over. Well, that and **you** ’d already caught one for your own collection. It was infinitely infuriating to **you** that **your** Nexopedia was, for some reason, incomplete. That was unacceptable. 

Abruptly, like coming out of a trance, you found yourself at one of the bridges leading to the Immortal Citadel. 

You gently let Coco off your back as you re-oriented yourself with your surroundings. 

“Hey, MC, you can tell me if you need a break, alright? I don’t want you over-exerting yourself…” Coco stared at your nervously as you nodded. Maybe you  _ should _ take more breaks…

**No. 24 hours.**

_ Wh-? 24 hours for what?! _

But you couldn’t glean anything else from your fuzzy memories, no matter how hard you tried. You were sure they were memories, now, but you didn’t have enough to get a full picture. It was very annoying. Almost as much as having your body taken over by your memory-self when you tried to do something that went against your own morals. 

Ugh. 

You started forward again, only to hear someone yell behind you and then get bowled over by them. A girl with bright pink hair and… cat whiskers? sprinted past. 

Your hand was already in a fist, but there was no way your weak body was going to be pulling off whatever move your brain wanted. The overwhelming feeling of rage at not having your muscles was really doing a number on your emotional stability. You’d been a pretty chill person before your memories started coming back, and it made you wonder just who you’d been in that past life. 

Thanks to your volatile emotional state, you didn’t hear the second person come running after the first and got knocked down again. Great. You made a strangled gargling noise as you pulled yourself up a second time.

“Why didn’t you stop that thief?!” The man asked, turning around so you could get a proper look at him. He seemed to be a mail carrier. 

Coco glanced after where the girl had run. “Huh? What did she take from you?”

“... I forgot.” He glanced over his shoulder, them back at the two of you. “Oh, hello! I’m Liam. What’s up?”

You blinked a few times before pinching the bridge of your nose, sharing a look with Coco. 

“T-the thief. What did she take from you?” Coco prompted again, narrowing his eyes at the mailman. 

“What thief? Say, have you guys seen a letter I dropped around here?”

_ So it’s a letter. _

You shared another look with Coco. 

“C’mon, let’s go get this guy’s letter back. We have to go to the city anyway, and since you seem so quest-happy all of a sudden…” Coco rolled his eyes and you shrugged sheepishly. You couldn’t really explain that you were being taken over by some kind of past life at any given moment. 

You and Coco headed to the Citadel, stopped momentarily by a pair of guards until you showed off your tamer badges. Inside the Immortal Citadel you found yourself immediately overwhelmed by overlapping images of the wisps currently inside the city and those same wisps in a different location. You got the distinct impression from your memory that you’d known, or at the very least interacted, with these people in your past life. And according to the town’s lore, that meant you were easily a thousand years old. 

What had happened to make you lose your memories like this? Were you actually 1000 years old, or were you something like a reincarnation? 

Either way, you didn’t find the girl in the streets, so you started knocking on doors. And by knocking on doors, of course you meant abusing your privileges as a Silver Badge and breaking into homes unannounced. 

The good news is, you found the girl and got the letter back after defeating her in a Nexomon battle. 

The bad news is, the mailman had forgotten that she didn’t steal the letter. Because it was her letter. 

So, after a very awkward third encounter where you returned her letter, you set back out on your task of exploring the town and finding Eliza. 

Unfortunately for you, you happened to find something much more dangerous than a witch.

You had half a second to process the image in front of you before the memories started flashing in. Rage. Uncontrollable rage. Confusion. Hurt. Love? You didn’t know what to call it. 

Your body moved on its own, backpedaling behind the safety of a wall just as it had done before in a desert.

You retched into the dirt, curling over your stomach protectively as though that would shield you from all the memories. Coco was yelling your name, not that you could hear him. 

Whoever it was standing in front of that tombstone, you had a history with him. From the overwhelming majority of your memories, it was a  _ very  _ bad one. 

_ Shit, he’s getting closer! _   
**RUN! RUN! GET UP AND RUN!!!!!**

You were too damn  _ weak _ . All you could manage was a crawl, and that wasn’t fast enough to outpace the white-haired man. 

That face, that damn face! Why do I know him?! Remember, REMEMBER!

Coco, who couldn’t possibly know what was going on, who was only trying to help, had directed the man to help you to your feet and take you to the nearest Healing Center. 

You tried to smack his hands away, but you were too  _ weak _ .

**Weak, weak, WEAK!**

_ SHUT UP AND HELP ME! _

It was no use, your heart was pumping as hard as it could for nothing. There were no muscles to receive the extra bloodflow, nothing you could do to get away. 

You were dragged to the Healing Center, kicking and (not) screaming, and you couldn’t even explain what had happened. 

The worst part was, he wouldn’t leave. 

Why? Why was he staying? What was he waiting for?

Slowly, you started to regain control of yourself. Your body began to still as more and more memories assaulted your mind. How to control yourself. How to get away, as quickly and quietly as possible. 

The Immortal Citadel’s Healing Center was just a small tent in the middle of a crowded marketplace. You could handle that. 

If he would just look away, you could run…

But he didn’t. He was watching you just as intently as you were watching him. Your face was falling into that neutral stare you’d used at the tree as well, burning hatred boiling just behind your eyes. You knew nothing about this man other than what you’d been briefly shown in your memories (and you’d forgotten those flashes almost as quickly as they appeared). But the emotions lingered, just as they had with Ulrich. 

Slowly, carefully, you got up off the medical cot you’d been placed on. Coco was pawing at your hand, asking if you were alright and what had happened. 

You caught his paw in your hand and gave it two tight squeezes, never breaking eye contact with the - 

**N--ol-r-.**

Yeah. That. 

“A thank you would be nice.”

“O-oh, of course sir! My friend MC can’t talk, they’re mute!” Coco answered quickly, picking up your signals.

_ Finally. _

“Really?” He tilted his head to the side. “A mute and a cat, all alone?”

“Hey, we’re Silver Guild Tamers!” He huffed.

The man blinked slowly at you, and for a second you could’ve sworn he  _ smirked _ . 

“You’re still children. Perhaps I should accompany you, show you the ropes… After all, I know these lands better than anyone else alive.”

**NO!**

_ NO! _

“Thanks for the offer, but I think we’re better off on our o--”

You cut off Coco suddenly, nodding.

“What?! I thought you wanted to--”

You shook your head just a fraction, and before either of them could say anything else you dragged Coco out of the medical tent. After slipping the nurse that had taken care of you a few coins as thanks, of course. 

You set a brisk pace, trying to make enough distance between you and that guy to give you enough time to explain to Coco what had just happened. 

You explained that you didn’t trust him, but that meant you should keep an eye on him. As much as you wanted to run from that elf piece of shit, you had a feeling that letting him out of your sight would be much more dangerous. 

And so, you, Coco, and your new mortal memory-enemy made your way to Eliza’s Mansion to figure out the secret of the paper mache sphere your caretaker had entrusted you with.

How unfortunate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to the Nexomon Discord, who I have reverse bribed into doing homework by rewarding them with fic. Makes them do their homework, makes me write fic.


End file.
